


Possession

by maevelin



Category: Klaroline - Fandom, Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: All Human, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Book/Movie Fusion, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Crime, Crimes & Criminals, Drama, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Love, Organized Crime, Romance, Suspense, mafia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-23
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-01-05 18:48:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 107,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1097399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maevelin/pseuds/maevelin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She belonged to him, she was his possession, his wife, but how could she feel drawn to the man she should hate? He knows that if he lets her in she would become his greatest weakness but she has awakened his heart. An arranged marriage between two rival mafia families is just the beginning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Down the aisle you go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to my amazing beta Anastasia Dreams.

****_Parla più piano e vieni più vicino a me,_  
Voglio sentire gli occhi miei dentro di te,  
nessuno sa la verità,  
è un grande amore e mai più grande esisterà

* * *

Caroline Salvatore was looking at the mirror trying her best not to break in tears. Her life wasn't supposed to be like this. She was supposed to be far away from this madness, from this death. Yet, here she was, dressed in a beautiful wedding dress, looking like a princess and feeling like she was about to attend her own funeral. She shook her head, her diamond earrings glittering under the bright lights in the room. She was trapped and she was about to be locked away in hell, but she was not going to allow anyone to break her. Not now, not ever. And especially not him!

Ugh! Who was she kidding? She was doomed to become Satan's bride tonight, and that scared her the most. Scared her? Scratch that, she was terrified. She was a Salvatore, her family owed half of Chicago and she was used to being around tough men with no moral compass, or at least this is what she kept telling herself. But this, this she just couldn't handle. Truth to be told, she had led a very secure and protected life. She was her daddy's little girl. She was the younger of her two big and extremely protective dangerous brothers that always looked after her, _until now_. Now she was going to be the sacrificial lamb in their games of power and domination.

Having grown up in a wealthy environment, she always had everything she asked for, was always respected and loved even if she was locked away in a golden cage. Yes, she was spoiled but the last year she tried to change that, and was making a difference. Until her dad's health went downhill that is. They had buried him just five days ago and tonight she was being forced to marry her family's worst enemy. She felt like she was about to break in a thousand pieces. Outside her door there were guards, and even more were everywhere in the mansion and in the gardens.

There was no escape, not that she would try that, not anymore.

**7 days ago** …

_She was outside the hospital, crying her heart out, she couldn't bear such pain, it was just too much. Her father had just died, his heart giving out. Giuseppe Salvatore ironically had a heart and it had stopped beating. She was away from home when he had his heart attack. S he was in college and she had recently started working in a bookstore. Her life was starting to make sense._

_Until her brother Damon called. "Father isn't doing well Caroline, come back NOW", after that phone call Stefan called her, "You must come back, it isn't safe for you anymore there, we are losing him, Care." She took the next flight and came back to Chicago._

_When she got accepted to college she literally had to_ _fight her father and brothers to go_. _She was going to go even if it was the last thing she did_ _. So she stood up, well eventually after all the crying and the yelling Stefan took pity in her and helped her. If it wasn't for him, Damon and dad would have probably locked her up in one of their estates until she would become more …agreeable. Of course she was constantly watched, she was never alone, the most trustworthy men of her family's security (yes, this what they called themselves) were always one step behind and one step in front of her, but even like that this was her first breath of freedom. For the first time she was far away from home and she finally had something normal in her life, her studies, her friends and Matt. He was the sweetest boy she had ever known, and he loved her for who she really was, not for her name, just for her. She was in love with him, she wanted to be with him, despite all the angry calls she kept getting from Damon telling her, threatening her, to break it or else he would come and drag her back home. Of course his goons would always report straight back her "indecent behavior" aka the few kisses she shared with her cute and most of all patient boyfriend. Matt was willing to wait for her, to make her feel comfortable, he wanted their first time, her first time, to be special and she loved him even more for that._

_What was all the fuss about? Well, since she was the only woman in her family, she would eventually have to get married and breed babies to someone that her family could trust and to someone that would be an important player in their little games. You know, guns, drags, money laundry, murders, every day normal stuff._

_Yes, she was Caroline Salvatore, the only daughter of Giuseppe Salvatore, lord and leader of one of the most feared Mafia families in Chicago. Actually there were two families that controlled Chicago and other places. Places like Italy and New York. Places with great crime rates. Her family was the one, with a reputation all over the world. The other was the Mikaelsons._

_Rivals to the death. Literally._

_This war between their families had been raging for years. Endless years painted in bloodshed and grief. A vendetta with no mercy, no one was safe, and no one was innocent._

_She was, but she always tried to stay away, her mother made sure of that. She was adamant that her little girl wouldn't be a part of this_ _world and since her father adored her mother he agreed. The day her mom dies was_ _the last day that Giuseppe smiled. He had smiled relieved that her pain was about to end and cried holding her hand as she stopped breathing. After that, the only thing that was left in him was brutal cruelty. He had a soft spot for her, yes, but he was always hard, violent and unrelenting when it came to her brothers, especially Damon, because he was going to be his successor._

_And now he was. Long live the new king._

She kept gazing at the mirror. Under all the make-up she was pale as a ghost. Her eyes were shining with tears that were about to spill. In seven days her life had become a nightmare. She looked at her hand; a dazzling diamond bracelet was secured at her wrist and an engagement diamond ring was on her finger. She had seen him only once, he inspected her like she was an object he was going to buy and then with a cruel smile that made her face contort with disgust he kissed her hand. She tried to pull it away, but his grip held it in place. Her hand captured beneath his lips, his eyes locked with hers. He had the most mesmerizing and terrifying eyes she had ever seen. It was like he could dive into her soul and thoughts with those eyes. He gave her the bracelet as a gift for their impending wedding and went to talk with Damon about the merger of their businesses and that was actually his marriage proposal. It was pretty simple, actually, it was a code of honor.

Yes, in their world that was above all.

She was going to marry him and have his children and his sister was going to marry Damon and have his children. That way they were going to become one happy freaking Adams family!

You see the last two years a new family came in Chicago. The Lockwoods. They were rising fast, gaining power and spreading mayhem everywhere. They destroyed some of the Mikaelson's facilities and burned many of her family's storage buildings. The victims were increasing. The Lockwoods even sent files to the police department causing Michael Mikaelson and Giuseppe even more trouble. In this world it was all about power, the weak were tossed aside and eaten alive. Simple as that. People kept dying, brutal murders, blood and unidentified bodies at the bottom of the ocean. This was war. A war that was now in Damon's court. Before Giuseppe died, he had spoken with Michael about if they wanted to survive this they had to end their feud. Uniting their families, as one, they would bring hell to anyone that would dare oppose them. So Caroline and Rebekah would be given to each family as brides. Caroline to the eldest son in the Mikaelson hierarchy and Rebekah to Giuseppe's successor, his eldest son Damon.

She stared at the mirror, her body wrapped up in an elegant dress that a girl could only dream of. That was also a gift from her husband to be. She was suffocating.

**5 days ago** …

" _You can't be serious Damon!" she yelled at him._

_His dark gaze was enough to tell her that he was dead serious._

_This couldn't be happening. This was a bad joke. It had to be._

" _NO, NO, NO! NO WAY IN HELL!" she was on the verge of hysteria._

" _Care, sweetie," Stefan tried to intervene._

" _No Stefan, you are not going to pamper her anymore." Damon's cold voice made Stefan sigh._

" _Are you hearing yourself? What are you asking me to do? There is no way, this is just, no, no, NO!" she yelled even louder than before._

" _I am not asking you sister, I am telling you, this is what father wanted," he announced with a detached tone._

" _This can't be, no, daddy loved me," she said tears falling from her eyes._

" _He did but you are a Salvatore and you have responsibilities, we all have," he said for the first time looking tired. In the last days he had been organizing everything. He had to prove that he was worthy and capable to be Giuseppe's successor. Caroline was an integral part of the deal with the Mikaelsons and this was what had to be done. He was in charge now and he couldn't show any signs of weakness, not even for his spoiled little sister. Everyone's safety was depending on the Salvatores and the Mikaelsons uniting. He wasn't that ecstatic about his upcoming marriage with Rebekah Mikaelson either but it had to be done._

" _This is crazy, dad just died, we just buried him today and you are expecting me to do what? Give up on my life?"_

" _You mean if I expect you to stop fooling around? The answer is YES."_

" _NOOO!" she screamed at him. She and Damon always fought like there was no tomorrow but this was just surreal. She believed that although he was a first class jerk at least he loved her. Obviously she was wrong._

" _You will walk down that aisle even if I'll have to drag you there!" he was starting to lose his patience._

_Stefan pinched the bridge of his nose. This wasn't going well._

_Elena entered the living room,_

" _What is going on? You can be heard all over the house!"_

_Stefan went to his wife and_ _wrapped his arms around her_ _giving her a knowing look. Elena looked at Caroline with sympathy._

" _Did you know about this?" Caroline accused her sister in law._

_Elena was about to say something when Damon stopped her and grabbed Caroline's arm._

" _Damon calm down," Stefan tried to stop his brother but it was useless and he was hurting seeing Caroline like this. It was inevitable, but he couldn't stop himself from wanting to protect her. It was his primal instinct. Damon's too. He knew his brother loved Caroline above all, but in this moment he wasn't her brother, he was the head of this family. It was egoistical, but he was always relieved that this was Damon's responsibility and not his. He looked at his wife, an arranged marriage for sure, but in his case it was different, he had been in love with Elena ever since he was a teenager. Their wedding was the happiest day of his life. He had done many horrible things, he wasn't a saint, but Elena always kept him sane, she was his haven. It was breaking his heart that his brother and sister didn't have his luck. Elena looked at him and smiled sharing his thoughts._

" _Both of you stay here!" Damon said dragging an unwilling Caroline behind him._

_He pushed her in their father's office; well it was his office now. Damon slammed the door and made her sit in the leather seat behind his big wooden desk. She was shocked that he was treating her like this and she tried to move but his hand on her shoulder kept her in place. He then opened his laptop and poi_ _nted at the screen. What she saw next made her blood turn to ice. It was Matt, outside the café taking orders._

" _What is this?" she whispered looking at Damon. It was a live connection._

_Damon looked at her silently for a moment,_

" _This is your beloved…friend, correct?"_

_Caroline looked at the screen again,_

" _Look carefully, sister," he did and she gasped. A red dot was shining on Matt's forehead. He was smiling unaware of what was happening._

" _It only takes a phone call," he said as Caroline was rendered speechless. She just kept staring at that red dot, it was all she could see and she knew what it meant. This wasn't right; Matt didn't deserve this, not because of her. Her insides burned her. She wanted to throw up._

" _Why are you doing this?" she asked almost inaudibly._

_Damon closed the screen and turned her around. He kneeled in front of her and stared at her. She was shaking like a leaf, her lips trembling and her cheeks wet from the tears she couldn't stop from falling. Damn, this was harder than he thought, he hated doing this to her. When it came to it he didn't have any problem inflicting pain, but seeing his baby sister terrified like this was breaking him. He was supposed to be the one to protect her from ever feeling like this. He knew about the kid she kept seeing, he was a decent guy and if things were different he wouldn't mind Caroline being with him. The day he called Caroline to return, his men caught some of Lockwood's lackeys outside Caroline's campus. They were after her. He wasn't fond of the Mikaelsons, either._ _He grew up hating them and was hit by one of them before and ended up in the hospital for two months. When he retaliated he sent his attacker to the hospital for three months._

_Their attacks were constant and their guns were always loaded. There was always an untold rule between them though, a silent agreement that no one ever broke. Never target a woman or a child. Things were different now, Caroline was not safe, and this marriage in the long run would keep her safe. She would get used to it. They both would have to._

" _Tomorrow he will come to propose, formally, I expect you to be presentable and complacent. Everything is arranged and the wedding is happening in a few days"_

" _Please don't make me do this," she pleaded with red eyes._

" _This is a matter of life and death, it was what father wanted. He was going to bring you here in the end of your semester, but the Lockwoods after his death have become more aggressive. We have no time to waste"_

" _I, I can't, I…" she couldn't breath, this was a nightmare, all she had to do was to wake up but for same reason she couldn't. Why wasn't she waking up?_

" _Your friend will be safe …as long as you stop resisting. There is no way out of this, besides the Mikaelson family is similar to are own, until now we might have been in opposite sides, but now you will be respected and protected. Besides what future could you have with that waiter guy, sister? This way you will still live the lifestyle you are used to and in time you will see this is for the best"_

_She couldn't look at him anymore, she had to compose herself, to find a way out of this, but it seemed that she didn't have a way out of this. Matt, her only thought was him. She loved him so very much and she knew that her brother wasn't messing around. She started feeling dizzy, she was lost._

_Damon stood up, her silence was enough of an answer, but he couldn't take any chances. Through the intercom he called one of his guards. His men were all around the house. After their father's death there had been two attacks so they had to be extremely careful._

" _Yes, sir," said the man that came to the office._

" _Take my sister to her room make sure she stays there," Damon said helping Caroline stand. She didn't say anything. She just stood motionless._

" _Miss?" the guard said, but Caroline wasn't listening as she robotically walked out of the office, not looking behind her. The guard followed her and then stayed outside her bedroom door._

In the last five days she had lost her freedom completely. She was followed around everywhere by her brothers' men and she wasn't allowed to leave the house, it was supposed to be for her safety, but that wasn't the whole truth. She was constantly watched, it had to be made sure that she wouldn't try anything stupid like trying to escape. Damon had made sure she wouldn't.

She wasn't going to try anything though, all she could think of was Matt. Stefan tried to talk to her but she gave him and everyone else the silent treatment. How could they do that to her? She hated them for it, they were coercing her into marrying a man she didn't know, a man she was taught to fear and hate. They were making her leave her whole life, her friends, the man she loved behind.

The past days people kept coming and going, they kept asking her opinion for her wedding but she remained silent, she didn't want to be any part of this. People kept staring at her with curiosity, sympathy and even with pity from time to time. When she first tried the wedding dress she could swear that it was so tight she couldn't breathe, but the dressmakers insisted it was perfect on her and all that was just bridal anxiety.

This was supposed to be her day, her special day that she would walk down the aisle and the man of her dreams would be waiting for her on the alter. When she was younger that man didn't have a face, but lately she could picture Matt waiting for her at the end of the aisle. Now her dream day had turned into her worst nightmare. She was about to marry a monster. She had heard so many stories of terror about him and every one of them terrified her. Her father and her brothers had mentioned him in the past; he was the most dangerous of the Mikaelsons, a cold-blooded killer. Horror stories were always connected with his name and everybody feared him. Even her father, a man known for his ruthlessness, had acknowledged that this Mikaelson would be a problem for them like no other they had faced before. To her surprise, her father seemed to hold respect for their enemy because of this. Now she was about to marry the enemy, a man that rumors said that had killed his older brother in order to take his place as the leader of his family. A man that had killed hundreds and most of the times with his own hands. A man that tonight would claim her as his lawful wife. She wanted to run and hide, but there was nowhere to go. If she did Damon would kill Matt and then he would find her and drag her back to marry that monster anyway and in the end her life would turn even more of a hell than it was about to be in a few hours. She tried to think about what was about to happen tonight. That she was going to marry this man and sleep with him and the thought made her sick. This couldn't be happening, she remembered the way he looked at her the one and only time she had seen him for those ten minutes. He looked at her with a penetrating predatory gaze that made her shiver. He was dangerous and she would belong to him. To a stranger, to a man she despised, to a…

"Caroline, are you ready?" Elena's voice interrupted her thoughts.

It was time.

* * *

In the abandoned warehouse not far from the docks the man's screams kept filling the air. He was tied on a chair and he was already beaten half to death. His face was unrecognizable, full of blood, cuts and bruises. He couldn't look straight anymore and the multiple wounds all over his body were bleeding out, he just wanted this to be over. His attacker took all the answers he wanted. His eyes looked like death, his reputation was right after all, going against the Mikaelson's was the worst mistake he ever made and he was about to pay it with his life.

"I want you to deliver a message to Richard Lockwood" said the man calmly. The same man that was giving the orders but wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. The man that only a few moments ago had beaten his prisoner to within an inch of his life and now was wiping the blood out of his hands with a handkerchief.

"Anything," the broken man said with a pleading tone.

The men behind him started to laugh but they immediately stopped when they saw the deadly look their boss threw at them.

"You are the message," he said throwing his bloody handkerchief on his prisoner's lap.

"You know what to do," he said to his men.

" _I have a wedding to attend to."_

His own wedding, he thought, while walking towards his parked car. A shot was heard through the air, coming from the warehouse. He didn't look behind, he just stared at the sea and the boats. It was already night and in less than an hour he would be married to Caroline Salvatore. He had heard it before, but it wasn't until he saw her just a few days ago that he realized that the rumors about her beauty weren't exaggerated. She looked like an angel and that was such a contradiction with the blood that ran into her veins. Such a contradiction to the world they both lived in. It took him less than a minute to realize that she was an innocent, a girl that didn't seem to like being anywhere near him. When he met her she was silent, but her look was defiant. He shook his head, he wasn't very fond of the idea of them getting married either but at least she would be a beautiful thing to watch and to have in his bed.

He took a picture from his pocket, the brown eyes of the girl of the photo still haunted him, he sighed, this was his past and now his present and future was the soon to be Mrs. Mikaelson, _Caroline_.

He started the engine of the car; there was no turning back anymore.

* * *

The wedding was taking place at the Mikaelson estate, in a beautiful chapel that was built many years ago in the beautiful gardens on the estate. The security measures were higher than anyone could have ever imagined. No precaution would be enough for this night. Men with hard faces and guns under their jackets were moving around the estate. To her eyes, they were uncountable, some of them she knew, most of them she had never seen before.

No one could get in without an invitation and without being checked from head to toe and let's not forget that no one could get out that easily either. Definitely not her.

Tonight was the first step, two organizations were merging into one. One family above all. The place was swamped with all kind of people, family members, some of them hostile towards the other's family's members, first class and low class criminals, people with wealth and power. Even outlaws that had been on the run for years were attending the wedding. People had come from the other side of the world for this wedding even though it had happened on such short notice. Then again, this was supposed to be quite a deal in their world.

Her bitter side was emerging, it was like all those people were mocking her, watching her walking her way to the gallows to be hanged. She was about to get executed and no one would save her, they would just applause her misery.

She was standing alone behind the curtains, peering through them and looking around. This could have been anyone's dream wedding. Everything was shining under beautiful ice-white lights; the pews aligned with white and black bows and elegant bouquets of orchid, lilies and roses. The aisle was scattered with rose petals. Up at the altar there were two large bouquets of red roses and white candles.

The church was already full, everyone was already sitting, but the groom was nowhere to be seen. His two best men where already standing in their positions waiting for him, one was his brother and the other was Stefan. Having Stefan there was supposed to be a sign of respect. Her bridesmaids Elena and Rebekah, were talking to some guests, soon both of them would walk down the aisle and would wait for her to do the same. She took a step back, time was running out and she could not outrun her ending.

Tears welled up in her eyes once more.

" _Stay strong, stay strong, don't break, you can do this, you can do this."_

This was her mantra all day long and now more than ever. She kept repeating those words to herself again and again while the minutes were running by faster than she would have liked.

Damon approached her and gave her the bouquet. It was made out of lilies, appropriate she thought bitterly since those were the flowers of death.

"You are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen Caroline," her brother said looking at her with his most tender look. She didn't say anything; she just grabbed her bouquet tightly. Damon looked at her with sad eyes and kissed her forehead but she moved her head away.

Her judgemental gaze found his for a moment clearly telling him that she was never going to forgive him from this.

He offered his arm to her while the music started to play.

It was time.

She took a deep breath and started walking down the aisle next to Damon, grateful that his arm was supporting her from falling down. Everyone stood up and stared at her while a few whispers could be heard here and there. She couldn't see and hear anything though, all her attention and energy was concentrated into not falling apart and running away. Each step was heavier than the one before.

There were looks of pride and approval around her but everything blurred together.

She finally looked up and saw the groom standing tall in his black tux waiting for her. His penetrating gaze seemed to be taking in every detail and for a minute she thought there was wonder in his eyes. She was wrong though because the next moment his eyes held an untold cruelty that terrified her and she was reminded of what he was capable of and what he might do.

She shouldn't be here, this was wrong and yet here she was, this was her destiny. In their world this meant forever. No ways out, no escape. She was about to bind her life to his for the rest of her life. Her heart swelled with despair. She was coming closer to him.

She slowly walked up the steps and he took a step closer. Damon kissed her on the cheek and gave her away to his once upon sworn enemy. He took her hand and gently led her up to the altar. The candle-lights momentarily lit up brighter.

She took her place across from him. Neither one of them smiled. The priest started the ceremony.

_**"** _ _Dearly beloved_ _**,** _ _we are gathered here today to join_ _this man, Niklaus Mikaelson and this woman, Caroline Salvatore, in holy matrimony."_

She took a deep breath. She was about to become the wife of Klaus Mikaelson.

* * *

__**Speak softly and come closer to me,**  
 **I want to feel my eyes inside of you,**  
 **Nobody knows the truth,**  


**_It's such a great love, it can't get any greater than this._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs used as inspiration for this chapter :
> 
> Parla piu piano – Gianni Morandi
> 
> Speak softly love – Andy Williams


	2. Wedding songs were not made for us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A million thanks to my talented beta Anastasia Dreams.

__**Parla più piano e nessuno sentirà,**  
il nostro amore lo viviamo io e te,  
nessuno sa la verità,  
neppure il cielo che ci guarda da lassù.

_**Insieme a te io resterò, amore mio, sempre così.** _

* * *

.

.

.

Caroline kept staring at her golden wedding band. It was done. She was the wife of Klaus Mikaelson. When the time came she had said, "I do". She was detached and until that moment she could have never imagined how easy it would be for someone to sign their death warrant just by saying two simple little words. _"I do"_.

She managed to say those words though. She spelled them out like she was in a trance. Maybe somewhere deep in her mind she was naïve enough to believe that something would happen even then in last moment. A miracle, anything, but nothing happened. The golden shining band ended up on her finger. Ironically it was an exact fit.

The priest pronounced them man and wife and then he gave permission to the man of her nightmares to kiss his bride. To kiss her!

She was absolutely positive that she was going to faint, but it seemed that her body was more tolerant than she originally thought. When his lips touched hers, she froze. His warmth fought with her coldness. His hand wrapped around her waist in a possessive gesture and his mouth claimed hers while everyone applauded. His eyes locked with hers a moment later searching for something. She couldn't tell what it was, but her heart kept beating faster and faster under his gaze.

Of course everything was just a mask since the next thing he did was smile proudly and start talking to his guests. People that she had never seen before started congratulating her, giving her their best wishes. She remembered answering in a low voice or nodding.

Her heart was turning into ice. A thin layer that was about to break into million pieces. A long time ago her mother had told her that this world was slowly killing anyone that would dare have a heart. She didn't understand it back then, but now she knew exactly what she meant.

Her skin was freezing from the inside out. Next to her, her husband was smiling like he was the happiest man to have walked the earth. He was the perfect host. Of course, he would be. This was what this charade was all about after all. Alliances.

She heard people talking to him about his sweet blushing bride and him answering in some kind manner or implying things she couldn't even dare to think and all she wanted was for this dreaded night to end.

Her new family kept watching her. The way Klaus's brother kept staring at her was making her skin crawl. What was worse though was the way Klaus's father kept throwing glances at her. She could swear that she had never seen cold eyes like his before. Kol and Rebekah she could handle. But Mikael and Klaus were a whole other story.

Stefan kept staring at her from some meters away with sympathy, but for the first time all she felt for her brother was emptiness. Families should love, cherish and protect each other above all. This is what they kept telling her ever since she could remember. Only they had failed to keep their promises.

This was no family. A family would never make her feel like she was a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder.

She did follow the ritual step by step. She talked to strangers and she threw her bouquet and Rebekah caught it with a dazzling smile and smiled at Damon while he smirked at her. Then Klaus went near her and kissed her forehead while Rebekah went and held her fiancé's hand.

All those gestures seemed so fake to her eyes. It was all about keeping the appearances. In reality, nobody was happy and no one was content. After years of hatred they were now all playing at the happy family.

She always considered her self as a positive person and yet now she was all bitter, twisted and sad. Rebekah seemed so different from her. She seemed to have it all under control. She seemed determined and tough. She definitely belonged in this world. From what Elena had told her, Rebekah's wedding with Damon was arranged to happen in three weeks. Damon had to take over their father's responsibilities first.

It was she that they forced into marriage a few days after her father died. She didn't even have the time to mourn him. According to Elena, things had to go down fast because of the threats both families had been receiving especially after Giuseppe's death. They had to unite now, so she was the unlucky one.

She looked at the man next to her.

Klaus and Caroline.

Two names that should never coexist in the same sentence and yet there they were.

Happily married.

The only thing that she did know was that when she was dreaming about her happily ever after she never thought that this would be it.

* * *

" _Most importantly I want to wish to my sister all the happiness she deserves in her new life. Congratulations!"_

Damon had just finished his speech. He talked about family, he mentioned how their father would have been proud to give away his sister and how this was a new beginning for everyone. His manners and his posture were excellent. Usually he would have more than just one snarky comment to share, but tonight was a different occasion. Damon was serious and in total control. After all he was the successor of their family's legacy and he had to suit the part perfectly.

Stefan refrained from giving a speech. It was as if he knew that it would make Caroline feel even worse than she was already feeling, but he couldn't even comprehend that what his sister was feeling was far from what he imagined.

Right now Caroline wasn't feeling anything. She was frozen inside and she just didn't seem to care. Her attention was elsewhere.

She was absentmindedly looking around at the glorious gardens with the light up torches. She was barely paying any attention or hearing anything. If she was to stay calm she had to concentrate onto something and that was it. She shut the whole world out while her eyes kept watching the lights that glistened and burned all around her.

Caroline did know that more toasts and speeches were taking place. She pretended that they were happening to someone else and not her. She was numb. Avoiding her brothers and everyone else she continued to stare at the lights and the stars. She also kept trying to ignore the man sitting next to her at the wedding table.

However that was an impossible task. Every now and then, when a new person would start giving another speech Klaus would smirk and even look at her with amusement in his dark eyes. Those looks unfortunately where the only ones that would pierce the frozen haze of her mind. Other people would translate those looks as signs of affection, but she knew better. All she could do was nod from time to time, trying to compose herself. She wanted to wipe that irritating smirk from his face with her fist, but unfortunately she couldn't.

What was most unnerving was the fact that even though she was trying as hard as she could to stay in her little safe bubble there were moments that reality intruded. Her new family was keeping a close watch on her. Especially her father-in-law. His eyes were calculating and every time he looked at her she felt like someone was throwing ice water on her.

Then there was Kol, he kept looking her with the mischievousness of a teenager. He kept staring and smiling at her in a very disturbing way. Esther was unreadable and Rebekah seemed to hate her already. And this was supposed to be her new family.

In that moment Kol stood up ready to give his own speech.

He smiled at her and she immediately tensed.

"Good evening gentlemen and… _ladies_!" He said in a charming way that was probably making many female hearts beat faster.

"I'd like to propose a toast to the bride and groom! May their future be as bright as the _love_ they are surely sharing."

His tone was ironic, his eyes gleaming mischievously now that he had everyone's undivided attention.

Caroline was starting to panic. It was at that moment that she understood that she had to come to terms that this was her new reality. She would have to deal with people that not only hated her, but also had the power to harm her.

It was true that Klaus was the one with the worse reputation of them all, but Kol also had the reputation of being sadistic and cruel and she was starting to realize why. She had never met him before. Her father had made sure to keep her far away from any kind of danger.

In any other case, she would have turned to her brothers to keep her safe, but now she would have to stand on her own. Tonight, was just the beginning and she knew for sure that she could not count on her husband to keep her safe.

If she knew something for sure it was that she was not going to give anyone the satisfaction of intimidating her. Yet, that determination didn't stop the sense of fear she had from washing over her.

"I almost cried when my big bother told me that he was going to propose to Miss Salvatore and we all know how much I love and care about the Salvatores." Kol kept the irony in his tone as he mockingly bowed, looking first at her and then straight at her brothers.

Stefan kept a discreet, but firm hold on Damon. A long time ago Kol has broken Damon's leg with a bat. In retaliation Damon months later had sent Kol to the hospital with fractured hands, dislocated shoulders and ribs. Neither Kol nor Damon wanted to kill each other at those ambushes. They wanted to send a message of superiority. The result was multiple attacks between the two families and many became collateral damage. For months later, no one was able to walk unguarded.

She remembered those times clearly. At first she was really scared for Damon and it was the first time that she had realized how much her brother meant to her and how much she couldn't bare to lose him. After that she was basically grounded. She wasn't even allowed to leave the house until the red alert was over. The thing was that it was never over. Not really.

"Mutual feelings, I am sure. But now that this beautiful woman is my … _sister_ ," he stopped for a moment looking straight at her.

"I wish her all luck and I promise to cherish and protect her as I would… _any Salvatore_." There was a menace in his voice that seemed fierce and calculating and the threat was apparent.

"Cheers!"

Kol sat at his chair looking more than pleased.

The message was loud and clear and Caroline shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

Klaus next to her remained impassive. What made her feel even worse was that she could not tell what his intentions were. He didn't move an inch and it was as if his face was carved from stone. He was an enigma.

Rebekah and Kol shared amused glances, while her brothers seemed to be trying to control their own anger. One single speech had got everyone on edge. She could hear whispers all around. Everyone knew the history between the two families and Kol's words were causing turmoil.

In the next moment all became silent. Mikael stood up and his deadly stare this time was not targeted at her but on Kol and Rebekah and instantly all amusement was gone from their faces.

He cleared his throat and started talking with an authority that only a few men could ever master.

"I have a sentimental weakness for my children and I spoil them, as you can see. They talk when they should listen." He spoke the words sternly with a booming voice while looking displeased with his younger son and his daughter.

"It is well known that the Salvatores and the Mikaelsons have not always seen eye to eye. Today is the day that we are leaving that past behind us." His smile was one of remembrance.

For a moment he looked like he was recollecting pleasant memories that included serenity and not blood and mayhem. Like he was remembering Giuseppe as a friend and not as an enemy.

"Giuseppe was a man of his word and when he promised his daughter to my son that was with the common understanding that from the moment that our children united their lives we would become a family and family is above all." Since everyone there lived by a code of honor, Mikael spoke in a language most of the guests could understand.

Family above all.

She was surrounded by people who believed themselves to be kings and queens among commoners. They imposed their laws and their dominance through violence and blood. And now as one family they would share the same throne and the same kingdom leaving bloody trails in their wake. This life and this mentality was everything she detested. She had tried so hard to run away from this world and she had failed. Miserably.

Aside from what her feelings were, this was a new era. They were connected through her and Klaus now. Soon one more bond would be forged through Damon and Rebekah.

And right now Mikael was making this clear to everyone. The political undertones in his speech were evident.

"Damon, Stefan, after tonight your sister is my daughter and she will be regarded with nothing but respect." He assured her brothers who knew that Mikael's authority surpassed Kol's games. It was a command no one would dare to contest.

"Caroline it is an honor to welcome you into our family and may you and my son find happiness in each other as I have with my loving wife." Her heart sank. Hearing those words from Mikael's mouth was like someone had stabbed her. Those words held a finality no one could ever revoke.

All the guests started clapping their hands, saluting and toasting.

Klaus took Caroline's hand and brought it in his lips. She still couldn't read his thoughts, but she felt like he could read hers. Suddenly everything around her seemed to stand still and to quiet down. She froze as he kissed the back of her hand looking only at her eyes. She held her breath. He smiled.

That smile seemed to her even more dangerous than everything Mikael had just said.

At that moment one of the guests decided to follow tradition and ask for the bride and groom to kiss. After that everybody kept dictating them to kiss. Impatiently tapping their champagne glasses with their flatware as an audible request.

Klaus's fingertips touched her lips to get her attention and she turned her head towards him. Her long eyelashes clouding him from her sight.

Bending his head to hers he gently kissed her while pulling her firmly to him. This time it was different than the one they shared at the church. This time it was more intimate and far more real. This time she had no other choice than to kiss him back.

People applauded, but she wasn't listening.

A mere touch was enough. His lips feathering over hers sent her world spiraling into chaos.

She didn't like this. She hated it. It seemed a dream, a nightmare she was locked in. And yet when the kiss ended somehow she didn't feel any kind of relief. Her heart was turning to ice once again ignoring the fact that her body seemed to be burning.

She bit her lip and looked at her wedding ring, instinctively touching the cold metal that immediately started heating up. She could feel his eyes following her movement too.

It was true. They were really married.

* * *

More minutes passed and time seemed to speed up. Klaus remained close to her. He was sitting so close to her that his scent was washing over her. Her lips were still burning, but she was certain that it was from disgust. Nothing else was acceptable. She was forced into this and she was not going to forget it.

She didn't want to compare him with Matt, but she couldn't help it. He was so different than her sweet boyfriend. When she was breathing Matt's cologne she felt at ease. Now the more she breathed, the more her heart kept racing.

Rebekah stood up and for a moment Caroline feared that whatever she was about to do was going to be as bad as Kol's speech.

She was wrong. It was worse.

Rebekah gracefully moved to the grassy dance floor that was set in the center of the gardens. The band stopped playing the soothing classic violin themes and Rebekah took the microphone. Everybody looked at the beautiful blond that seemed to be genuinely happy and comfortable.

"I would have never thought that my big brother would be the first to marry, _or marry at all_ , but the day is finally here."

Everyone who knew Klaus's reputation laughed at Rebekah's words and at the way she smiled at her brother.

"Brother, I wish you all happiness from the bottom of my heart." Rebekah almost seemed honest and Caroline saw Klaus smirking at the antics of his sister who was now the center of attention.

"I do think though that it is time for the newlyweds to share their first dance as a married couple!" she said with a big smile and everybody agreed with her. Rebekah went to the orchestra and said something to the lead singer.

They were about to start their wedding song! Wedding songs were made for happy couples that were in love. _Not for her and Klaus._

Klaus stood up and turned towards Caroline, smiling at her. He offered her his hand and waited for her.

" _Will you give me this dance sweetheart?"_

Damn! This night was turning out to be never-ending torture. And how could a person turn a simple question into such a sinful invitation? And why was he asking her anyway? Was it like she had a choice to begin with?

She shakily took his hand and their fingers intertwined. He took her to the dance floor and the band started playing the song Rebekah had ordered them to play. The singer's melodic voice filled the air as Klaus whirled her to him and their bodies touched.

He wrapped his hand around her waist and they started moving. They appeared to be a perfect match. Their dance moves perfectly in sync.

All night she had tried to block him and now she couldn't no matter how much she tried.

She couldn't ignore the way he was holding her. His hands possessively touching her. Such an intense touch that it seemed like he was branding her. Like his touch was burning her right through her gown.

They danced in silence and all she could feel was that he was trying to claim something that wasn't his to claim. Unfortunately, he didn't have to claim her since she was already his wife. At least legally.

She couldn't stop her self from rolling her eyes at the lyrics of the song.

Klaus smirked at that. If he had to be honest she was adorable. He had waited for her to speak to him all night and he was willing to wait as long it would take for her to feel comfortable to do so.

He didn't know why he was so patient with her but he was. All night she kept avoiding him. She seemed distracted and sad and he wasn't pushing her boundaries.

When Kol made that stupid speech he had to control himself to keep from lashing out. His idiotic brother had to try to ruin the night. What made him furious, though, was the fear that passed through Caroline's eyes.

He was surprised for a moment. He thrived on other people's fear. Hers shouldn't affect him that much, or at all. They were married, but they barely knew each other. She wasn't supposed to have any kind of affect on him at all.

He couldn't deny that the way her emerald eyes shined with helplessness made him want to tear his brother in pieces. She was fighting through her fear though and that surprised him even more. And now her ironic gestures and the way she pouted were making him smile at how cute she looked. She was a beautiful woman and he was always drawn to beautiful things.

"Parla piu piano? The Godfather? Seriously?" Her sarcastic voice interrupted his thoughts and he flashed his most charming smile at her. Only that seemed to make her look like she regretted saying anything at all. Somehow, that irritated him and only made him want to hold her closer.

He refrained himself from doing so. Speaking to him of her own accord was a huge step forward and he wasn't going to throw that away.

"Trust me, sweetheart, the irony isn't lost on me I assure you."

She scoffed at his words while the song kept playing. _She really was a stubborn one wasn't she?_

She was starting to realize that Klaus's full attention was on her now. His hands tightened around her body as everyone watched them dance to the song that spoke of an epic love. His frame was shadowing her and she was uncomfortably aware of their close proximity. It made her feel awkward and tense.

He twirled her and moved her closer to him.

. . .

Rebekah and Kol silently studied them from their table. After the speech, Kol gave, they couldn't do much since their parents kept watching them ready to intervene at any time. So now it would seem that Caroline was now not only under Klaus's protection but also Mikael's. _That was just great._

This night was important for many reasons, but Rebekah couldn't stand the beautiful princess her favorite brother married and she enjoyed seeing Caroline in discomfort. So since she enjoyed watching her new sister-in-law squirm she had thought it would be a good idea to force her to dance with Klaus in front of everybody. Caroline seemed to be in distress all night so one more nail in her coffin would be a great pleasure.

It was tradition after all, but she didn't like what she was witnessing now. Klaus had his full attention on his bride and he kept staring at Caroline in a way that she hadn't seen him look at anyone before. It seemed like… _infatuation?_ No that was impossible; it couldn't be, _could it?_

No! This had to be an act. Keeping the appearances. Klaus could never be attracted to someone like her.

Rebekah didn't miss the way Kol kept watching Caroline like a hawk and the truth was that Caroline looked magnificent in her beautiful gown. Everyone tonight was admiring her and talking about how beautiful she looked.

Klaus had chosen the wedding dress when the coordinator came to him. She could still remember the orders he gave away. _"A dress fit for a princess,"_ he had said _._

It was at that moment that she knew that she would never like Caroline. Ever.

She looked towards Damon. He was really attractive, but the last thing she wanted was to marry a Salvatore. She had three weeks to get herself out of this mess. She just didn't know how. She tried to ignore the way Damon's eyes lingered on her form. She had to admit that he was really sexy, but she had heard the rumors. He was crazy and impulsive, he treated women like they were disposable and most importantly he was in love with his brother's wife. Like hell she would marry a man like him. She wanted more for her life. She hadn't lived at all and she wasn't going to end up miserable like Caroline.

Even if right now Caroline looked like she was a fairytale princess that was dancing with her prince charming.

. . .

Caroline was trying to ignore how her heart kept humming under his gaze. _How was he doing that to her?_ The way he was possessively holding her and leading their steps made her think that this was just a prelude. The rest of her life was going to be like that. She would have to do what others expected from her and he would lead the way. She would have to follow. Like she was nothing more than just a possession.

"You look very beautiful Caroline, but a smile could get you a long way" Klaus told her like he really and genuinely wanted to see her smile for him. She knew that it was for the sake of appearances so instead of granting him his wish she pressed her lips together.

"Easy for you to say," she retorted.

Her behavior seemed to amuse him and she pondered how hard she could step on his feet.

"Indeed it is love, but considering the family you are coming from it shouldn't be that difficult to pretend. Should it?" he said quietly and his sarcastic smile was making his dimples appear.

He was making her feel alive for the first time tonight. Because now her blood was boiling with anger.

_Stupid dimples and stupid accent!_

Everything was a game to him.

She had to breathe or else she would start screaming at him and she doubted that this was the reaction he wanted when he asked her to smile.

"Sorry to disappoint you," she glared daggers at him.

" _On the contrary..._ " he said like he was realizing something while he was gazing intently at her.

He started studying her. The way her cheeks finally lost the pale shade and how her eyes shone. She had spirit and for a moment there he couldn't resist messing with her temper. He wondered how loud she could yell at him. At least her expression wasn't vacant any more. Even if her anger was targeted at him that was better than her being an empty cell of a person.

He knew he had to break the ice somehow. To get to know her and make her feel comfortable with him.

"About your father…" he started with a serious expression, but the way she glared at him made him pause for a moment.

"Don't! Seriously! " She said in an icy tone. It was the first time she looked straight at his eyes without looking away.

"Very well," he said, without pressing the subject further while internally admiring how feisty she really was underneath the mask she has been wearing all night.

This dance was turning out to be quite enlightening.

"On to more mild mannered subjects then, like how ravishing you look in that dress," Klaus said, looking appreciatively at her. He gave her a bright and charming smile and he couldn't resist from subtly checking her out.

His gaze once more focused on her eyes, but she kept her head turned away from him, pointedly ignoring him, while they kept turning and swaying around the dance floor.

"Well it's not like I had the choice not to wear it now, did I?" she said in a bitter tone.

"And what about the bracelet I gave you?" He calmly asked her pointing his gaze towards the bracelet on her hand.

She spared him a glance and then she looked at the bracelet, but she remained silent trying to ignore his smug expression and his contentment. Caroline seemed to be trying her best to show him that while she was obliged to keep dancing with him it was unwilling and she really didn't like him.

He felt himself more drawn to her now. She had a light that surrounded her, and a fire in her eyes that was calling to him.

"You know, you are quite the dancer," he complimented her in all honesty. His voice low, a drawling caress.

He was completely truthful with her. He had danced with many partners over the years, but none of them matched so perfectly with him. Her body suited his perfectly and their movements were graceful and elegant.

For a moment she seemed surprised and stole a quick glance at him. She then turned her head away from him again. All night long she had been looking at like him like his presence was beneath her, but now he felt her relaxing in his arms a little.

"Well, I had training," she informed him like she was talking about the weather. "I happened to be first in my dance class," she said with pride.

" _I know_."

His laconic answer both frightened and intrigued her.

She really didn't like what his answer was implying, but she shivered and she found couldn't take her eyes away from his. It was at that moment that her heart sped up under his gaze and she realized that she had lost track of time. The song ended and she didn't even notice it. They stood still while people kept applauding them; a new song was beginning and guests joined them on the dance floor.

She found herself unable to move and break their connection. The moment had swept her away and she was afraid that he knew that too.

* * *

**_Speak softly, love so no one hears us but the sky_ **

**The vows of love we make will live until we die**

**My life is yours and all because**

**You came into my world with love so softly love**

* * *

.

.

.

One of the guards distanced himself from his appointed position. He walked until he was hidden under the dark shadow of one of the big trees. He could still keep an eye on the celebration, but he knew that no one could see him. He had to be quick.

He took his cell phone from the pocket of his jacket, closed it and quickly changed his sim card with another and turned the phone on again. He started writing a message as fast as he could…

" _They are married."_

And he pressed send

Moments later he read the incoming message.

" _Keep a close watch on the bride."_

He stared at the beautiful bride dancing with her father- in- law now. He was about to become her shadow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Songs used as inspiration for this chapter :Godfather love theme, Parla piu piano by Patrizio Buanne, Speak softly love by Andy Williams
> 
> \- In the chapter there is also a quote from the movie "The Godfather". In Mikael's speech.
> 
> "I have a sentimental weakness for my children, and I spoil them as you can see; they talk when they should listen."


	3. Wedding Night

__**Te voglio bene assaie**  
ma tanto tanto bene sai  
h una catena ormai  
che scioglie il sangue dint'e vene sai…

* * *

.

.

.

The night was progressing slowly. The next few hours seemed to pass in a dreamlike manner for Caroline. She was now aware of her environment more than before, but she was still trying to keep her mental distance. She kept staring with empty glances. She didn't want to admit it, but her dance with Klaus left her emotionally drained.

She tried to show him that he wasn't affecting her and that he had no power over her. His seductive words and his low and husky voice did not tempt her. She wasn't one of those women that would be enamored by him just because he had a beautiful face. His inside was ugly and scary and she wasn't going to forget that just because his voice held a sensual note.

His gentle manners were meant to lull someone into a false sense of security. She had to admit that for a moment there he had her under a trance, but that wasn't what made her heart throb with terror. No. It was the realization that this was the man she would be spending her life with. It was a reality that she could not avoid. He was too real and too close to her.

From the moment they swayed on the dance floor she felt like she was surrounded by black smoke and searing fire. Aside from her brothers she wasn't used to being surrounded by strong willed men and now she felt like she was the lamb that had to deal with the hungry wolf.

Klaus seemed to be polite and gentle with her, but the way his eyes would turn from ice to fire scared her. He had hellfire in his heart and she was not used to dealing with men like him. Not in the way it was now expected of her. And it was clear now more than ever that there were certain expectations of her. After her dance with Klaus she danced with her father-in-law.

He put a gentle, fatherly, hold on her and she was more creeped out than ever. The way he was looking at her scared her and their slow pace was a trial that she wasn't prepared to deal with. She had no difficulty in believing that he was the root of all-evil. Maybe all these were childish thoughts, but that man was scaring her and the protection he bestowed upon her wasn't giving her any sense of security at all.

" _You are part of my family now Caroline,"_ he had told her moments before he let her go. _"Behave accordingly,"_ he warned her.

She felt like she was suffocating. Every member of the Mikaelson family had that effect on her. It was just too much for her to handle. Suddenly she blinked. What was she thinking? She wasn't going to give up that easily.

Like a shockwave it occurred to Caroline that she had to react somehow. She couldn't keep acting like she was lethargic. She realized that if she was to survive in this family she had to defend herself. She had to be the person she used to be before she was coerced into this marriage. Damon always kept telling her that no one was as stubborn and as irritating as her. Maybe now she would have to prove him right.

It was at that moment of her epiphany that she saw Kol was about to come closer to her. This night was already a disaster and she wasn't about to dance with him too! Klaus and Mikael were enough! So, she took a deep breath and decided to stop her self-pity and follow the advice Klaus gave to her. Well, it was actually more like an instruction, but she wasn't going to drown in her sorrows anymore.

" _A smile can get you a long way,"_ he had told her while they were dancing. Maybe he was just right about that.

She smiled her most radiant smile and walked towards her guests. Rebekah and Kol wanted to make her feel trapped and helpless and she wasn't going to play their game anymore.

She was Caroline Salvatore, she was known for being the center of attention and she could also be the meanest girl in the room she wanted too. Now she had to remind herself of that more than ever.

For the first time tonight she really looked around her. She took in every detail. Looking at the splendid celebration she came to the conclusion that this was what Mikael meant. This was what was expected from her. To be a beautiful, silent, doll surrounded by lavish things and people that meant nothing to her.

It was a dream wedding, for sure. Made out of her worst dreams, but who was she to judge? It wasn't like she was forced into this. _Only she was_. She had to stop hoping for this night to come to an end. She had to become the perfect hostess and the happy bride for the rest of the evening.

She replayed the night so far in her mind. She knew that she had acted like a lifeless puppet all evening. Klaus had tried to talk to her while they walked their way from the church to their garden party, but she didn't even spare him a glance. She didn't know him enough to tell if he was irritated or indifferent towards her behavior. His expression betrayed nothing. While they were dancing he seemed pleasant enough, but after their dance he once again kept his distance, his expression impassive. Which, in all honesty, was something that she was really grateful for.

The truth was she was running out energy. She didn't want to talk to him or see him. She didn't want to spend time with him and yet it seemed that she was stuck in an impossible situation that she couldn't find her way out of. So, at the beginning of the night she had waited until they reached their destination where more people than just him would surround her. Back then she just didn't know if that was a better or a worse option. Well, when people started asking for the groom to kiss his bride she knew it was the worse option after all.

Caroline started scanning her environment with interest this time. She kept mingling and talking to people while she was taking in every detail. Major and minor. She had to be careful from now on. She would have to observe everything. She wasn't safe and she would have to be on her toes.

Her wedding was quite the event; white lights were strung across the garden and torches were lit with glowing, trembling flames. Fancy chairs and round tables, with elegant tablecloths of fine linen and beautiful bouquets of flowers in their centers, were set up on the grass. There was expensive crystal filled with champagne and porcelain china with gourmet delicacies. Small candles were everywhere and there was even a champagne fountain and ice sculptures. Cater waiters passed by with silver trays. A live band was set up along with a made up dance floor. The violins were playing classic themes; a singer was singing old and new songs. Women were dressed with expensive, extravagant and elegant gowns and men in fine suits and tuxedos were enjoying the night, smiling and laughing. All of society had gathered to celebrate the event.

It had been a long time since she had attended something like this. Going to college had been her chance for a normal life away from pointless superficial nights like this one. When she was a little girl and her parents were having balls at their house she would always sneak out of her room and hide in a corner and dream of the time that she would be all grown up and she would get to wear a beautiful dress and dance all night long. Usually, Stefan would catch her and they would dance and laugh together. Damon was always making fun of them.

Caroline had grown up, but the reality was much different from her fantasy. In all honesty, for some time she lived for events like this one, but eventually she saw them for what they were. She changed and after a while she started avoiding celebrations like these. She considered them boring and fake. A world that looked made out of gold when in reality it was made out of blood. Nonetheless, she was very good in organizing these kinds of events when it was required, but not this time.

Ironically, she didn't have a say in organizing her own wedding. She didn't want to anyway, not that she was asked. This was all Rebekah. She had to admit that if this were not the wedding out of hell she would be the first one to admire the work her sister-in-law put into this. It was a little bit much for her style, but it was well executed. The perfect reception for the imperfect people.

* * *

Many Italian songs were played. Courtesy of Rebekah, for her future husband and her new family. Everyone knew that the Salvatores had roots in Italy. Her grandparents had lived there a long time ago. She always used to enjoy those songs. Her mother used to listen to them all the time. It was funny how in times of pain and insecurity she would always find shelter in the memory of her mother. This moment, though, those memories were hurting her even more. Her mom wasn't there to advise her, to help her, to hold her. So when her mom's favourite song started playing she had to blink back the tears.

_**Te voglio bene assaie…  
** _

Her parents always danced to that song. Her father used to listen to it when he was alone in his study years after her mom passed away. In the end they loved each other. He was a tough man and she was a sensitive woman, but they always balanced each other. Her mother stayed by his side until the end. She didn't like anything in their world, she despised it with all her heart. Many times she was depressed and sad, but she would always genuinely smile when her father was present. Her dad would do the same with her.

Caroline wanted, she craved, a love like that. She wanted passion in her life. To be free to love and to be loved. To be able to love without fear. She wanted more than just what she got. Maybe she was a dreamer. Maybe she was just a crazy, silly girl. But the song that was playing right now was just one more painful reminder of what she had lost tonight. What she would never get.

_**ma tanto tanto bene sai…** _

She looked at Klaus from a safe distance for a moment. Her gaze penetrating and persistent. She could never love a man like him. She wanted to give herself completely to someone that would be able to touch her heart and her soul. To someone that would be able to understand her hopes, her dreams, everything she wanted in life. She knew that she was breakable and he was a man that was used to breaking others and deriving pleasure from it. A man like that could never love a woman like her. She doubted that a man like that could love, period. She looked at her ring.

_**h una catena ormai..** _

She translated the lyrics in her mind. It was true, chains were holding her down and her blood was melting in her veins, but it wasn't out of love. It was out of despair and that was killing her. She looked at him again and this time he looked at her too. She found herself shuddering under his intense gaze.

_**che scioglie il sangue dint'e vene sai…** _

She was startled from her thoughts by Stefan. His eyes shone with his need to talk to her. She sighed. She had been avoiding him all night, but now she couldn't. They used to sit together listening to that song. She would cry in his arms listening to that song and missing her mom.

"Dance with me?" Stefan said with a pleading look while he extended his hand towards her.

She looked at her brother and without saying anything she took his hand. He led her to the dance floor and whirled her close to him. Something was different now. Something was amiss. The comfort she was unintentionally seeking from Stefan wasn't there this time. It was all gone.

It was the first time that as hard as Stefan tried he wasn't able to connect with Caroline. His baby sister was distant and her eyes seemed vacant. Guilt enveloped him instantly. All night he had watched her, moving like a ghost at first and then playing at being the perfect bride, even though, he could tell she was struggling.

He hated himself for not standing up for her even if he knew that this was what would keep her safe. Or at least this was what he hoped and kept telling himself. He stared at his sister's face, but her eyes kept looking everywhere except at him. Her usually happy face seemed sad and the light he could always see in her eyes faded as they danced to their mother's song and his heart clenched painfully in his chest. At that moment Caroline reminded him of their mom more than ever.

"Caroline, I…" he didn't even know what to say and he hesitated.

Caroline didn't even look at him.

"Don't say anything." Her whole body was tense as she tried to maintain her civil posture, but right now her whole being was throbbing with the need to scream at everyone. She wanted to tell her family that she hated them all. Even though what she hated the most was that deep down she still loved her family despite the betrayal and that was what hurt her the most.

"You will always be my sister Care," Stefan said as he felt her putting up walls that he didn't know if he would ever be able to break down.

For the first time she stared at him. She really looked at him, her eyes never leaving his. She stopped dancing, took a step back, stood motionless and watched him with a glare he had never seen before, not in her. Damon could master such a look, but not her. Never her. _Until now_.

"I used to be your sister, Stefan, but thanks to you and Damon I am not a Salvatore anymore. _I am a Mikaelson now_ ," Caroline said with a hard voice, leaving him alone as the song faded

Stefan watched her as she moved towards some of the guests, her face a mask of cold indifference. This was not his sweet, carefree sister.

Damon approached him patting him on the shoulder to gain his attention. Stefan didn't take his eyes of Caroline and he didn't even care that he was standing still in the middle of the dance floor. _What have they done?_

"What's going on?" Damon asked with a worried tone, his face betraying nothing to the world.

Stefan turned and looked at his brother. "We should celebrate, we have our alliance now," Stefan said unemotionally as he turned to leave. "We just lost our sister forever," were his last words as he moved further into the gardens feeling the need to breath fresh air more that ever.

. . .

Rebekah kept a close watch on Damon Salvatore. Her eyes roaming over his form as she wished him to be someone else. If he was, maybe they could even have a good time together. Unfortunately, he wasn't. She had to avoid this marriage, no matter the cost. She had three weeks ahead of her. Three weeks. In any other case, she would be turning to Klaus for help, but seeing that he had given in and married Caroline it would be almost impossible to get him on her side now.

Kol came near his sister and was surprised to see that all her attention was on Damon Salvatore. For a moment his eyes glittered with danger. He still couldn't believe that his family had formed ties with these wretched people. If it were up to him this celebration would have had only one conclusion. Every last one of the Salvatore's would have been scattered in the garden in bloody pieces. Well, if not everyone, then at least Damon. God, he hated that guy like no other. His blood boiled as his sister scanned the man from head to toe with lust filled eyes.

"You've changed Bekah, settling for a Salvatore is quite a sign of weakness," he said playing with his champagne glass. Suddenly the taste of the bubbly liquid became bitter in his mouth.

"I am not settling, but he is my husband to be is he not?" she said without taking her eyes from Damon. She almost smiled at the murderous look that was on her brother's face. Maybe, she didn't need Klaus after all. Kol hated Damon like no other, especially considering their past. So it would be safe to assume that he would help her. She just needed to think everything through. She knew that she would have to say all the right words to provoke the right reaction out of him. "What about you, Kol? Don't think I haven't noticed how your eyes have been glued to our new little sister all night?" she said with distain.

Kol smirked and looked at Caroline again. She kept avoiding him all night. How sweet of her to be so disgusted of him. Klaus was on the verge of killing him. That was definitely making his night.

"Well, Bekah she is family now," he said smiling like a Cheshire cat.

He laughed at Rebekah's expression as he heard her making a choking sound at his comment.

"Relax darling, Caroline is our brother's little toy now, we should help her adjust…" He said slowly drinking his champagne.

"Yes, we should, because we don't want her to be uncomfortable do we? If she suffers then her brothers suffer." Rebekah's tone was laced with false sympathy.

Kol's smile got even wider. His sister turned her face to him and used her most adorable smile, the one she always used on him and Klaus when she wanted something from them.

" _Then Damon suffers_ ," she said with a sweet voice.

"Isn't that what we really want, sister?"

"Perhaps," she said giving him her most conniving look. "But we were already scolded once, so would you really be willing to help your baby sister out?" she innocently asked.

"And spit right in the face of father's rules?" he said looking at her like that was something that concerned him.

Rebekah's expression was serious now.

Kol smiled again but this time it was a twisted smile.

" _I am in"_

. . .

Damon watched his sister from afar. Caroline didn't spare him even a glance and he didn't dare going anywhere near her. He wasn't Stefan, as Elena had told him so many times now. He didn't have soothing words for her, besides his relationship with Caroline had always been rocky. She would hate him forever, now. He was used to people hating him, anyway. He turned around and watched as Elena ran after his brother. Just looking at her was making his heart ache.

He didn't miss the way Rebekah's eyed him. She was hot. He could give her that. He should be trying to get to know her, but right now all he wanted was to go and get drunk. He knew that he would have to leave Caroline here tonight and that made him feel uneasy. For the first time he wished for Giuseppe to be here. That way he wouldn't have to be holding back.

He looked at Kol. He was itching to kill something and Kol would make a perfect candidate, especially after his little speech. Family ties or not he would have to get him alone soon, maybe break some of his bones again. No one could threaten Caroline and walk away unscathed. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be here to keep her safe 24/7, but he could pass his message clearly if he had too. He also had to have faith that Caroline would be able to take care of herself. Guilt engulfed him momentarily, but he shook it way. This marriage had to be done. His with Rebekah had to happen too.

He looked at Rebekah again. In three weeks he would have to marry her and something kept telling him that she wasn't such an easy person to be around. It didn't matter; in the next few days he would have time to deal with Barbie Mikaelson.

. . .

Klaus was standing on the opposite side of the gardens carefully watching the interactions between the Salvatore's. Damon and Stefan always looked in control, but this was the first time that they seemed to be losing their ground. Their little sister was riling them up quite successfully. He smirked at that thought. Who would have though that a little blond college girl would hold such power? On a second thought, though, he knew from personal experience how annoying little sisters could be to their brothers.

He kept sipping a glass of champagne as he looked at Caroline talking to some of their guests. At the beginning she was distant, but after their dance she became the perfect hostess. He had to give her that. She wasn't letting her discomfort show and she even smiled. She had an amazingly sweet smile. She was polite with everyone and they seemed enchanted by her. All the while, though, she discreetly kept herself away from him and his family. His parents kept glaring at him, motioning to him to go to his wife, but after their dance he kept his distance too. While his body was always far from her, his eyes never left her.

Her sweet face wasn't the only thing that he found interesting about her. After their dance, he could still feel her in his hands. Her body had fitted his perfectly and as her curves swayed seductively, every movement of her body had ignited desire in him.

As the song ended and she removed herself from his hands he had to control himself from bringing her closer to him again. Indulging in his thoughts.

Klaus would have time for that later tonight he kept telling himself. Sexual desire was not an unknown feeling for him. Usually, it would take some time in order to get the object of his desire. He always enjoyed the hunt and he was always after women that would play or to be more exact, pretend to be hard to get. Those games would never last more than a few days. Sometimes only a few hours. This time he was grateful that he wouldn't have to wait. Caroline was his for the taking. Images of what was to come kept filling his mind and he had to exercise all of his self-control to wait until the time was right.

Klaus kept entertaining his guests, always smiling and joking while he was starting to get more irritated by the minute. Most of them were finding the right opportunity to ask him favours and according to his father today he couldn't decline. This was his wedding day so according to their traditions he had to be more…agreeable.

The fact that Kol was immensely enjoying the situation was enough to make him start shooting people. What was making him really furious, though, was that every man was appreciatively looking at his wife. He wasn't the only one dreaming of what her body was capable of. She was the center of attention and with her innocent face and killer looks she would certainly feed many male fantasies tonight and because of that his nerves were all over the place. Especially, considering that in a few hours sweet Caroline would be having her wedding night. _With him._

He breathed deeply and continued watching her from afar.

He had seen her dance with Mikael and he smirked. His beloved father probably told his wife to behave. He wanted to laugh at that. Mikael and his speech tonight made everyone think that he would be the one to keep Caroline safe. That his word still mattered. It was for the best, though. He didn't want to show any of his intentions tonight so Mikael's intervention was the right thing to do.

In reality, no one would be able to touch Caroline. Not unless he wanted them too. Her safety and well being depended on him and only him. And he did need her.

Now, he had to concentrate on more important matters. He couldn't afford to make any mistakes. His father was right. The world was changing and the move they made with the Salvatore's gave them, gave _him_ , more power. He had to make good use of that power and make the right decisions. He might have married a Salvatore, but that didn't mean that he was about to give away his power to them. A power, that in order to get, had cost him even his soul.

After Elijah's unfortunate fate he took over. People didn't know it, but he had managed to overpower even Mikael. Everybody outside their circle thought that Mikael was still in charge, but that was far from the truth. He had turned the tables, it took him some time and a few corpses here and there, but he was finally in charge. Mikael knew that his time was up. If he wanted to survive he would have to respect and obey his bastard son. That gave him a sickening satisfaction like no other.

The old man still had loyal men with him, but he also knew that with Finn and Elijah dead Klaus was the next in line so he took advantage of that. He let everyone, aside his family, believe that Mikael still held power, but in reality everything was under his control. He was the one that decided to proceed with this wedding. With the Lockwoods coming into their territories he had to gain access to even more power and Caroline was a convenient card up his sleeve. Her family had access to places he couldn't expand his control. Until now.

Her also being such an attractive creature was just adding to the mix. He was pleasantly satisfied with the fact that he would also derive pleasure from her, but most importantly she was a perfect pawn in his game. One that he would have to keep close to him. This night was just the beginning. No one knew it, but after tomorrow everything would change. He had made sure of that.

Tonight he would keep his allies close and his enemies even closer. His family and Caroline's might have a united front against the Lockwoods, but a good player knew that every plan of action needs a good back up and then a plan b and a plan c and so on. This was the perfect opportunity to see who were loyal to the Salvatore's and to gain their attention. He needed to know who would be a loyal pawn and whom he would need to kill.

Unfortunately, the fact that his damn brother was flirtatiously raising his glass towards Caroline at every chance he got was definitely not helping. His anger was flaring and the look of discomfort in Caroline's eyes when Kol tried to go near her was making him want to tear his brother into pieces. He had barely controlled himself when his idiotic brother gave his speech. For the first time he saw real fear in Caroline's eyes and that surprisingly angered him. She knew how to compose herself, though. An admirable trait for sure. Somehow, he also knew that Caroline could handle Kol. Her indifferent pose and her pride were enough to tell him that the last thing she needed was a knight in shining armour; not that he could ever qualify as one anyway.

Moments ago, he caught her staring at him. Her eyes were carefully studying him.

He couldn't deny that it was like a gravitational pull and that caught him off guard for a moment. Right now, though, after her dance with her brother, his wife seemed to not have any intention of looking at him ever again. He emptied his glass and excused himself, leaving his flute on the tray of a passing waiter. Then he moved towards his little brother exactly at the moment that the annoying brat was going to go after Caroline, _again_. Party time was over for Kol.

While Klaus was heading towards his brother Rebekah found the right opportunity to approach Caroline.

* * *

Caroline had moved a little bit further from the celebration. The guards didn't stop her and kept their discreet distance, but she knew that their eyes were always on her. Supposedly it was for her safety, but it didn't feel like it. She kept walking further into the gardens. She needed to breathe, to have a minute to comprehend what had happened in her life in only a few days. She was married. To Klaus.

She stood next to a torch, the flames were casting glowing shades all around her and making her wedding dress seem like it was made out of gold. After her dance with Stefan all she wanted was to go somewhere where she would be able to be herself. She heard a noise and she turned around to see where it came from. She thought she saw a shadow near some trees, but before she could tell if it was her imagination or not Rebekah's reprimanding voice took her by surprise.

"You shouldn't be that far into the gardens, you might get lost… _sister_."

Caroline momentarily closed her eyes at the sound of Rebekah's sarcasm. She took a deep breath and put, yet again, another smile on her face and turned around. Rebekah wasn't alone. With her was a young girl, around their age. She had black curly hair and a sweet smile. Caroline looked at the two girls and Rebekah gave a glare to the other girl. The girl bowed slightly and took some steps back. Rebekah turned all her attention to Caroline now.

"You are right, Rebekah, I shouldn't have, thanks for your concern" Caroline said with her most kind voice.

"No need to thank me, what are families for after all…"

The smile in Rebekah's face was making Caroline feel even more uneasy. She looked towards the celebration. She couldn't see Klaus and Kol anywhere. Nor her own brothers and Elena.

"Right…" Caroline said cautiously. There was something in Rebekah's eyes that she really didn't like. She was yet again up to something. She looked at the unknown girl, but said nothing. She didn't know if she should ask her name or not. If anything she knew that she should tread carefully from now on.

The girl behind Rebekah remained silent. She was wearing a simple dress. Nothing like those that the guests were wearing tonight.

"Did you like the arrangements tonight? I hope everything was according to your taste," Rebekah said as if she cared what Caroline thought.

"Yes, very much so. You did a beautiful job, Rebekah. I am only hoping to return the favour," she said dryly.

The two girls stared at each other. They both understood perfectly well each other's intentions.

"Maybe we should go back," Caroline said, wanting to get away from Rebekah. She started regretting leaving the celebration and even though she was smiling, internally she didn't want to spend any more time competing with the girl. She already had enough problems.

"Actually, you won't have to Caroline, you have to get ready for your…wedding night"

Caroline took a sharp breath while her face lost all colour.

Rebekah motioned to the girl to come closer. When she did Rebekah smiled sweetly.

"Caroline this is Anna. She is working for us,"

"Hello Mrs. Mikaelson, " the girl said smiling.

Caroline tried to catch her breath. She didn't want to show Rebekah or anyone any signs of weakness, but she couldn't do this. She felt her body turning rigid and her heart slowing down. Each slow heartbeat was more painful than the one before.

"Hello, Anna. It's nice to meet you," she whispered without being able to look at Anna's eyes.

"Anna will escort you to my brother's bedroom so… _you can get ready_ ," Rebekah said with a knowing smile.

Caroline slowly glared at Rebekah unable to contain her disgust.

"Thank you Rebekah, for everything. And just so you know, I will _**never**_ forget your kindness… _sister_."

With those words Caroline followed Anna unwillingly all the while feeling Rebekah's glaring at her.

* * *

.

.

.

.

All noises slowly faded in the background.

Anna led her through the gardens and into the mansion. Her new home. Her first impression was that this was a really big house, but now that she was inside she could see that it was gigantic. She hadn't visited this house before. They had taken her from her home straight to the church, which was far from the main house. Besides, a few days ago when Elena asked her if she wanted to meet her future husband again before the wedding Caroline had declined. Actually, she hadn't said anything and Elena knew that her reaction meant that not seeing Klaus before the wedding was probably the best thing for everyone. It wasn't as if Klaus had made any effort to meet her before they got married either. He didn't care for her and she should never forget that. At least their feelings were mutual.

For a moment she stood and stared at the extravagant chandelier that hung from the tall ceiling at the massive foyer, the grand staircase, the marbles and the decorations. She sighed and then followed Anna.

As the servant girl was walking her in to the living room and straight up the marble stairs she kept stealing glances. Her heart pounding with every step. This was such a cold house. It seemed more like a mausoleum. It was huge with heavy furnishing and old paintings. The chandeliers were made out of crystals and gold. It was literally a golden cage and she was trapped inside it. It wasn't so hard for her mind to start creating horror stories with murders and tortures inside this dark place. Stories that ended up with her being the victim.

She was after all "happily" married with the murderer that owned the house, _and her_.

As their footsteps clattered down the halls she kept peaking around and she noticed the cameras that were discreetly placed in every corner and ceiling. She was accustomed to those from her own home, but that didn't make it any less confining. This was no way for someone to live. Being constantly watched and guarded, never having any kind of privacy. It was a very luxurious prison, but nonetheless a prison.

Anna showed her a few doors telling her which room belonged to whom. They passed Rebekah's, Kol's and Mikael's and Esther's room and they turned into a darker corridor. She couldn't exactly tell, but the paintings that were hung on these walls were different. They seemed less cold and detached. Finally, as they reached their destination Caroline bit her lip as she was about to lose it and start running in the opposite direction.

Then, Anna escorted her into a really large bedroom. Hers and Klaus's room. The thought of spending more than an hour in this room and the reality of the whole situation was making her feel dizzy and disoriented. She suddenly felt exhausted. Her whole body worn out, the fight leaving her. This was so wrong and she couldn't find a way to fix it. The wedding band on her finger felt like scorching fire, reminding her that she was part of this room now. Just like everything else in here. She looked around feeling appalled.

It was a lavish place for sure. Dark red and ivory were the prominent colors. The fire that was roaring in the fireplace was giving an iridescent glow to the room. There were two doors that probably led to the bathroom and to a walk in closet. There also was some Victorian style furniture, a daybed couch and a wooden table with a vase full of roses. Heavy curtains and two glass doors that led to a patio balcony. The dresser held a huge ornate mirror that was opposite to the king sized bed.

The bed captured her attention. This was a room that most people could only dream of, but for her it was like it was taken from a nightmare. She had to sleep with her…husband on that bed. She tried to push her fear aside and search for her inner calmness, but then her heart just stopped and she blanched. Over the satin sheets that were covering the bed was placed an elegant nightgown. It was made out of silk and lace. It was the color of champagne and was long with a cut on the right side that would probably go up her thigh. She looked around. The roaring fire in the fireplace, the lit up candles and the scent of roses were all an ideal romantic scenery that screamed sex. She cringed at the thought. She didn't want him to touch her. This was supposed to be a beautiful moment for her with the man she loved. Not this. Her eyes burned but she kept her tears at bay. She wouldn't cry. She would never give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

"Mrs. Mikaelson?"

Anna's voice brought her back to her dreaded reality. Mrs. Mikaelson, this was who she was right now. She had to get used to that.

"Yes, Anna?" she asked, her voice sounding perfectly calm, hiding her inner turmoil.

"Would you like me to help you get out of your dress?" Anna asked with a timid smile.

Caroline instinctively tugged at the wide skirt of her wedding dress.

"No, Anna, that won't be necessary," she said with a dry throat.

"Is there anything you would want me to do for you, Mrs. Mikaelson?"

_Yes, stop calling me that!_ A voice screamed in her head.

"No, thank you. That would be all. You can go," Caroline said unemotionally.

The girl left, leaving her alone in her new bedroom. Caroline took some steps and stood in the middle of the room. She rubbed her temples and tried to take deep breaths. She then walked towards the balcony. The light breeze was what she needed right now. She could see the gardens and a beautiful lake that was illuminated by small lights on a stone path. Strangely, the view had a calming effect on her.

As was expected guards kept moving around outside.

She sighed and closed her eyes. She tried to find comfort in her memories and reach one that would become her safe haven. A place for her to go in her mind when things would turn out to be more that she could handle. She had a feeling that she would need that safety net soon.

She thought of Matt. How he always smiled at her. How he made her feel special and appreciated like she was the only girl in the world for him. They had waited for the right moment. The right moment that would sweep them both away. She had not planned to wait for much longer. She wanted Matt to make love to her. Him! Not …Klaus.

She was about to panic, but she tried to think about Matt again. Maybe if she kept thinking of him when the time would come…maybe it would be easier that way. She would close her eyes and she would pretend that it was Matt's hands and body on hers. Could she do that? How would she be able to give herself to a man while thinking of another? She felt disgusted and horrified with herself and then she felt angrier than ever. They had forced her to marry a man she loathed. She was not the one that was supposed to feel disgust and horror; it was supposed to be the other way around.

All of the sudden she felt a shiver and it wasn't from the wind. All of her instincts screamed at her and she turned around to see Klaus standing a few steps away from her. Leaning on the glass door and looking at her.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't heard him coming in. Their gazes locked and she couldn't look away. He moved closer to her and she held her breath. In the dark, he seemed more threatening than ever. She didn't know what to do or what to say. He stood in front of her and he smiled. It was an almost gentle and understanding smile. Her green eyes got lost in the blue color of his. She could feel his breath touching her face, making her uncomfortable. She was the first to look away.

"Aren't you cold?" she heard him asking her. He seemed kind and concerned, but she knew it was just a façade. Men like him were never kind or concerned about another's well-being.

She took another deep breath that made her smell his after-shave and she had to control herself. She stood her ground, but it wasn't easy. He was already invading her personal space. She looked at him again and this time she watched him carefully. She couldn't deny that he was a beautiful man. His blue eyes, his dirty blond hair and he had dimples. Evil men shouldn't have dimples. She scolded herself. What the hell was she thinking now? She was alone, far from home, on a dark balcony with a stranger that happened to be the leader of a mafia organization and her husband. It couldn't get any worse than that.

_God she had to sleep with him. How was she ever going to do that?_

"Caroline?" his voice was persistent.

She shook her head startled.

"No, I am fine," She said while her body slightly shivered.

Ok, maybe she was a little bit cold. She just didn't know if it was because of the weather or because of her fear. She turned her gaze away again. She couldn't stand looking at him right now.

His smile got wider. His eyes looked at her. He could tell that she was cold. Her strapless dress wasn't that warm and she had been rubbing her arms moments before. She hadn't heard him coming closer to her and he used those moments to just watch the girl, who now belonged to him in silence.

She was a really beautiful woman. A beautiful woman that despised him. He couldn't help but admire her. She didn't want to become his wife, that was obvious, but her pride was there. It showed when her vows slipped from her soft lips, when he kissed her, when they danced together. She didn't allow anyone to see that she was in pain.

He could tell. After all this time, he had become an expert at detecting fear in others. Caroline could hide it well, but not well enough. Not from his eyes. She feared him and he was afraid that she also hated him like no other. He shouldn't really care that much about her feelings though. She was after all just a means to an end. But he also couldn't overcome the fact that this was not an easy predicament for either of them. She was his wife, but he didn't know her. All he knew was that she belonged to him now. He would have to learn to care for her. It wasn't necessary, but maybe he could do that. He was always taking close care of his valuable possessions after all. He could never love her, but he could learn to care for that beautiful creature. They could be good together.

Klaus took his jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders. She didn't move when his arms circled her, but he could feel her whole body becoming rigid. She was like one of his wild horses. He had do approach her very slowly and carefully if he wanted to tame her. He took a moment before he removed his hands. Her scent was enticing. He walked away from her. Not very much, but enough so she could at least relax a little bit. He looked at the small lake. He had chosen this room because of the view. This part of the gardens was filled with roses and old wild trees. It was one of his favorite views and he hoped she would like it.

They stood in silence under the stars. Caroline was afraid of her own voice. Even though the warmth of his jacket and the fact that he wasn't talking to her comforted her.

He leaned to the rails and looked at her. "Your brothers left a while ago," he said.

She bit her lower lip, but didn't say anything. She was looking anywhere, but at him. Her anger was building up inside once more. She didn't want to hear anything about her brothers ever again. She didn't want to be here.

"They said that they would come to visit us soon," he said, his gaze never leaving hers. She said nothing.

He sighed. This girl was really stubborn.

"It's getting colder, maybe we should get inside." His voice was low as he moved towards her and gently placed his hand at the small of her back. She turned around without saying anything and went into the room. He closed his eyes for a moment his hand falling to his side. He followed her and then closed the glass doors and silence enveloped them. The only sound in the room came from the fireplace. He could see that she wanted to avoid him and for some reason that made him feel bad. Women used to fall at his feet not the other way around. A part of him wanted to take her right then and there, but another…

"Caroline are you ever going to look at me?" his voice was low and she took a deep breath. He moved closer to her and stood in front of her. They were both standing beside the bed.

"Look at me." His voice was gentle, but his tone was commanding. She glanced up at him and he almost took a step back. The flames in her eyes could burn anyone right now. The despair and anger in them made her look even more beautiful in his eyes. He felt something more than just desire. He had to make her his.

"I know that this isn't easy for you, but if we don't try this is going to be even more difficult for both of us,"

Caroline pressed her lips together. She was about to lose it and lash out on him, but she restrained herself. She didn't want to admit it, but he was right. On the other hand she wasn't just going to submit to him. Just because he said so.

"What do you want me to say?" she retaliated, moving away from him and throwing his jacket on the bed. She felt exposed without it shielding her, but she didn't want to have it on her. She didn't want anything that belonged to him to be anywhere close to her. The wedding ring in her finger felt like dead weight.

"You might think that this charade could get easier, but truth is that this marriage should never have happened. I don't want this, any of this. And you know it. _You_ took away _my_ choice and you just don't care," she accused him, unable to control herself any more.

Her words stung and he could feel his temper changing. She was provoking a side he didn't want to show to her. He didn't want to hurt her. Not just yet. Not without a valid reason.

"Careful sweetheart, I do appreciate honesty, but you should mind what you say." The intensity and the threatening gleam in his eyes warned her not to push him.

Caroline looked at him for a moment. Her eyes shining with disgust. She wasn't trying to disguise the rage she was feeling. She should have known that she wasn't free to speak her mind anymore. She finally averted her eyes, looking away and swallowing any retort she might have had for him.

He stepped closer to her and caught her chin in his hand forcing her to look at him again. She had a spirit that was calling him closer and closer. He could tell she was afraid of him, but she was fighting it. She was too feisty for her own good. He didn't know if he should get angry or admire her.

"You really are an innocent aren't you love?" his lopsided smile, taunted her, "This was never a choice for me either." His eyes travelled slowly from her eyes to her lips. "But this doesn't mean that this…charade as you may call it has to be … _unpleasant._ "

She wrenched her face away from his hand and took a step back. His smirk showed that he was enjoying this. For him it was a game and for her torment. There was no way out of this. Dragging the inevitable wasn't helping her. Especially when she was dealing with Klaus Mikaelson.

"What do you expect from me?" the question slipped out in a whisper and she could feel her eyes burning again. She clenched her fists. She wasn't going to cry, she wasn't. Not in front of him. Never in front of him. That was a vow she was never going to break.

All amusement was gone now. His expression turned deadly serious. He approached her and his hand slowly caressed the length of her arm from her shoulder down to her palm.

She felt her skin burning at his touch.

He took her fisted palm and brought it in his lips kissing her knuckles.

"To be exactly what you are Caroline… _my wife_." His gaze never faltered.

Her hand trembled and she pulled it away.

"That will never happen. Some empty words on an alter don't make me your wife."

Her voice was so low that he could barely make out what she said. He smiled. His … _wife_ was really brave. She was a Salvatore after all, he should have expected it.

His eyes changed color. They mirrored the darkest shade of blue. They turned black. She wasn't a Salvatore anymore, she was a Mikaelson. She was his. With that thought, without letting her protests sway him anymore, his hand wrapped around her waist pulling her firmly to him.

"That is where you are wrong love," he whispered in her ear.

She held her breath, her whole body freezing.

The sensual note in his voice evoked fear inside of her. She didn't try to move, he had her in an iron embrace. His close proximity making her shudder.

He moved his head so he could look at her. He stared at her eyes in a way she couldn't read.

"You are my wife." Every word held a finality that was killing her. She couldn't take it anymore, she closed her eyes.

He looked at her, at her lips and at her wet eyelashes, and he frowned slightly. What he was feeling was something he would never have expected. His eyes slipped over her lips again, he wanted to taste them. But this was not what was confusing him. She was a beautiful woman after all.

What was taking him by surprise was that this was an urgent need that he hadn't felt in years. He had kissed her in front of everyone at the church and the celebration, but that was nothing in comparison to what he wanted to do to those lips now that they were alone.

Maybe it was her innocence, maybe it was her defiance mixed with her fear, but he hadn't felt that kind of need in a very, very long time. He was always surrounded by women that were more than willing to offer pleasure to him. He never had to try in order to gain affection. He liked the chase, but it was never real. Women were basically falling at his feet and he was choosing the most convenient one depending on his mood. Most of them were attracted by his name and his fortune. Others by his looks or by some idiotic fantasies they had of making the bad boy fall for them. In any case, he was always surrounded by too willing femme fatales throwing themselves at him shamelessly.

He had never thought that he would end up married to a girl that not only hated being anywhere near him, but also seemed to have no sexual experience at all. He could tell by her posture, by her eyes. He could tell that she had barely even been kissed before. That was making him feel strangely attracted to her. His most possessive side was awakened by this sweet, little girl. No one would ever touch her again and if he was right that would make him her first and her last lover.

He slowly circled her, without his arm ever freeing her, until he stood behind her pressing her to him. Her back crashing into his chest as the palm of his hand settled on her stomach. With his other hand he brushed some stray blond strands of hair from her neck and he could feel her trembling.

"There is no turning back." With his free hand he started unhooking the small buttons of her wedding dress. Slowly, one after another. The fabric slowly opened exposing the pale skin of her back.

She instinctively held the front side of the bodice to keep it from sliding down. It was as if this was her last shield. If she would let it go she would be gone. She felt him tightening his hold around her waist bringing her impossibly closer as his lips placed a soft kiss on the crook of her neck.

She could feel her cheeks blushing as he slowly caressed her back. His touch was warm and she bit her lip. She wanted to tell him to stop, but her mind was blank. His lips found the pulsing vein in her neck and her whole body throbbed.

There was a long moment of silence and all he could hear was her breath. She was in his hands. Her scent was driving him crazy with need. Her soft skin was beneath his lips and her trembling body under his hands.

"You are _**mine**_ now." His voice was low and seductive in her ear as he unfastened the last button of her wedding dress.

He pressed his face in her hair and she felt him breathing deeply. Without even realizing it she leaned her body back and suddenly she was more scared than before. Her body seemed to have a will of its own. Her knees grew weak and if it weren't for his hold she would have fallen down. He was making her shiver, making the moment last.

He sighed while smelling the sweet scent of her hair.

" _Goodnight Caroline,"_ Klaus whispered, his hot breath tickling her ear. He removed his hands setting her free. He turned away and left the room gently shutting the door behind him.

He was gone.

She couldn't breathe. She gulped and looked over her shoulder holding the wedding dress tighter to her.

_What had just happened?_

She stared at the door, unable to form even a coherent thought.

* * *

__**I love you very much**  
very, very much, you know  
it's become a chain  
that melts the blood inside the veins, you know...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Many thanks to my beta Anastasia Dreams
> 
> \- Song used as inspiration for this chapter :
> 
> Caruso by Lucio Dalla


	4. Choose your poison

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first part of Chapter 4.

**And it kicks so hard it breaks your bones.**

**Cuts so deep it hits your soul.**   
**Tears your skin and makes your blood flow.**

* * *

.

.

.

Klaus carelessly threw his jacket at the table and went straight to the liquor cabinet. He poured whiskey in a glass and slammed it down ignoring the burning in his throat. He went for a refill.

After that his vest and his bow tie ended up with his jacket. He looked around and tried to calm himself.

Books, paintings, brushes and palettes were all around the room, on drawing tables, in chairs and on the floor. Large bookcases were covering all the walls. There were no windows.

This place was his sanctuary. No one was allowed to come in except him. It was the place where he could still be himself. Where he would leave the gun and start drawing endlessly. Usually the result would be some form of dark art. Black and crimson shades. Ever since he lost _her_ he couldn't paint anything else. All his work was turning out dark and gloomy like his soul.

Right now though he wasn't in that room in order to read or paint. He wasn't there to think of _her_. He was there because of a girl with bright green eyes and silky blond hair. He was there because he wanted to smash and destroy.

He wanted to scream in rage. This shouldn't have happened. Right now his beautiful bride should be sprawled underneath him writhing with pleasure and he should be claiming what was rightfully his to claim. And yet something in her eyes made him spare her. He never once had a woman against her will before and he wasn't going to start with Caroline, but damn he wanted her!

They hardly knew each other, but his body's reactions were obvious. Painfully obvious he thought as he tried to calm himself and ignore the heat he was feeling. What was angering him the most was that without taking her tonight their marriage was legally void.

He would have to correct that little detail soon. Caroline was now in his grasp. He would _**never**_ let her go and she didn't have a chance to escape him. If she would translate his little act of good will for weakness he would have to teach her the hard way how wrong and dangerous an assumption like that was. He could not allow her to believe that she could manipulate him in any way, but it would be a shame to hurt someone as beautiful as her. He didn't want to snuff her fire out.

He had committed many sins in his life, but dragging an unwilling woman in his bed was not one of them and he wasn't going to begin now.

It was so hard to resist temptation though.

She was perfect, he could give her that. Perfect face, perfect body, perfect eyes.

He sat on his leather chair and opened up the first buttons of his snow-white shirt, his breathing labored. His necklaces showing under the dim light.

She had something that he had never seen before. A light surrounded her. It was a strange sensation being around a creature as sweet and bright as her. It was a good thing that he was attracted to her. It would have been quite unpleasant to have a wife that did not turn him on.

He smiled at that. His anger and sexual frustration were replaced with something different. He would give her the time she needed. Seducing her would be a very pleasurable way to spent time with her. Before she would give in to him that is.

He would enjoy getting under her skin. Like he did tonight. Because she could deny it as much as she wanted, but for some moments even if her mind was fighting him, her body was surrendering. He could always detect a woman's desire when he saw it, and even more so when he felt it, and Caroline was a sensual being even if she didn't know it yet.

He would be more than happy to teach her. To have her discover all those hidden sides with him.

She was very young and very scared of him right now, but she was his. No one else was going to touch her ever again. And he would make sure she would learn to be content with that. If she were to give him a chance she would see that he was always very attentive with the things that belonged to him.

Besides there were no alternatives. She had to give herself to him. But he didn't want her to do it because she had to. His male ego was screaming at him now. He wanted her to want to be with him. Body and soul. He wanted her mind and her thoughts. Her heart she could keep. It was a useless acquirement after all.

This was an interesting turn of events. In the beginning he didn't care for what this marriage would be. Now he did. His hand started playing slowly with his glass. The golden liquid twirling inside. Caroline Mikaelson was in a deeper web than she originally thought. They both were. This attraction was complicating everything, but in the end it was there and he couldn't ignore it.

One night was enough for him to want to conquer her.

And he always got what he wanted. And now he wanted his wife.

He took a deep breath and then drank in one go the rest of his drink.

As always, when he was in this room, he took in his hands his sketch pad and paged through it until he found an empty page. A few moments later a pencil was in his hand leaving marks on the paper with soft and hard strokes.

The sound was soothing and he didn't pay much attention to the shapes coming to life on the paper.

It wouldn't be until the morning that he would realize that he had started making drawings of his wife.

.

.

_She was slipping further and further into the darkness. She didn't know where she was heading. All that she knew was that she couldn't stay in this place a minute longer. She didn't want to be trapped into this place that seemed more like a mausoleum than anything else. This marriage should have never happened. She should have never stood up next to Klaus upon that alter. She had to gain her freedom back._

_The corridor seemed to be going on forever. She had to find her way out, to run and to go back to her life. She glanced down at herself and gulped. She didn't have anything else to wear other than that wedding dress that confined her body like a deadly trap. The back of the wedding dress was still open. She didn't have the time to fasten those buttons again. And she could still feel his finger touching her skin. She had to get out of here now._

_She looked around as she kept walking. Paintings were hung on the walls. All whispering songs of blood and destruction. Black and crimson were the only colors that the tormented soul of the painter wanted to throw on the canvases. Those haunting images were following her every step. She was afraid to look directly at them. It was like they were calling to her._

_She was afraid and she was lost. What if someone would find her trying to escape? What would happen to her then? What if her husband found her?_

_She held the bodice of her gown tighter in front of her chest._

_She closed her eyes while scolding herself. That man was not her husband. He would never be._

_She kept walking. She felt like danger lurked in her every step._

_She suddenly stopped._

_She looked at her right. There was a door and at the bottom of it a dim ray of light streamed though the crack. There were no other doors. Just walls and paintings that surrounded that wooden surface that seemed to be tempting her to open it._

_Where was she? She looked behind her and then in front of her and her heart stopped. The corridor had no end and no beginning._

_She would walk forever._

_She heard laughter coming through that door. A woman was laughing and she sounded happy. How could someone be happy in a place like this?_

_Before she knew what she was doing her hand, as if it had a will of its own, reached for the doorknob. Her palm wrapped around the cold metal. Slightly turning it._

_The door moved a little bit and the laughter stopped._

_She could here whispers now, but she couldn't make out what they meant. She felt her heart beating faster and faster._

_Before she knew it a hand wrapped around her waist and violently pulled her away from the door that now shut with a thud._

_She screamed and struggled as she felt her blood turned to ice._

_Before she knew it she was shoved to the opposite wall and her hands were pinned at her sides. The man that was now her husband was looking at her with a mad gaze that shone through the dark shadows._

" _You shouldn't be here,_ _ **never come here again**_ _!" Klaus roared._

_His voice held such menace that she shivered. She whimpered and tried to move, but he held her tighter. She felt so cold and defenseless. He had caught her. Would she ever be able to escape?_

_His demeanor changed and she found herself unable to move as his one hand trapped her wrists above her head and the other started pulling her wedding dress of her body. The fabric was sliding from her body leaving her chest bare to his hungry gaze._

" _Your place isn't here," he said as his lips feathered over her earlobe gently biting the tender flesh._

_His body covered hers and all she could feel now was warmth that was turning into heat. The shadows seemed to be getting larger and scarier, devouring them both in their darkened mists._

" _Your place is with me," he said, slowly kissing her neck. His hand caressing the curves of her naked skin._

_She was burning. She was burning up. Heat was coming from every direction. Her mind clouded with a need she could not name. What was he doing to her?_

_She closed her eyes and moaned as his lips slowly moved on her neck. Her desire to run was leaving her. Her need to fight was diminishing._

_She suddenly felt something wet slowly flowing down her back. She opened her eyes and turned her head slightly. Her back was resting on a painting._

_The paint was melting. Black oil paint was flowing from the painting to her body and tainting the white of her dress that was now a pool of black silk and lace around her feet._

" _Stop," she urged, but he didn't listen. Instead he kissed her hard and she tried to breathe, but it was impossible._

_His hands were now covering her body and spreading the black thick paint all over her._

_She heard that laughter coming through that door again. Everything around her was spinning and she was tormented by his kisses._

_She tried to move, to push him away, but he wasn't stopping. The paint was sticking on her skin and devouring her pale complexion. It was like she was becoming part of the painting. Forever trapped._

_Panic rushed through her veins._

" _Please stop." She pleaded through his passionate kisses and he moved his head. His heated gaze was making her dizzy. Her head was pounding. Her feet shaking. The paint melting on her skin. The laughter from behind that door growing louder and louder until it was just a scream._

" _Let me go," she begged him as her hands moved to try and hold on to something. She was falling._

_She was falling into his arms._

" _ **Never**_ _." His voice a threat and a promise as he kissed her again._

_This time everything went silent and empty. No laughter. No fear. No hope. His hands holding her where she now belonged._

_She would never be able to escape him. Never to leave him._

_Never._

She woke up with a start, gasping as her heart thrummed under her ribcage. It was a nightmare. Just a bad dream. It wasn't real.

Her head was pounding and she felt lost as she woke up in the strange environment. She looked around at her new room and she sighed. Only it was not a nightmare. The wedding, the reception, Klaus Mikaelson were all real. She was married to him. She moved her rigid body until she sat up and leaned her back on the headboard of the huge king-sized bed. She looked around at the room that seemed so cold and unfamiliar to her. Everything in it looked expensive and soulless.

She rubbed her eyes and took deep breaths. She felt so tired. She hadn't slept for more than two hours and after that dream she wished she hadn't slept at all. Truth be told last night, even though she was physically and emotionally drained, she couldn't relax and she was scared to let herself fall asleep in the lion's den.

She looked at the wedding dress that was thrown on a chair. Her breath was caught as she remembered Klaus's hands unfastening the buttons. She stared at the elegant dress and she felt shame. For a moment she had felt all tingly and weak under his hands. A mix of desire and need. He was an experienced man and he was messing with her fear and her helplessness. She knew men like him. She had grown up with men like him. Fear and seduction was part of the game.

Even like that though, she was thankful that he didn't go any further. He could have. She wouldn't have been able to fend him off. She bit her lip and looked at the door. Last night after he left she half expected him to return. Considering his reputation that wasn't such an irrational fear.

He had let her go. More or less it would have been rape. But he had let her go. He strangely smelled her hair and it wounded her pride a little bit as she remembered the way she trembled for a moment in his hands, but he had let her go. Another place, another woman and all of that would have had a whole different outcome. _But he let her go_.

She closed her eyes. He was even more dangerous than she originally thought. He was buying his time knowing that she didn't have any other alternatives. He was prolonging what in his mind was something that would definitely happen sooner or later.

She frowned and opened her eyes. They didn't consummate the marriage. Didn't that mean that their marriage was illegal?

She tried to clear her thoughts. A part of her was still trying to find a way out of this mess.

Was there any or was it too late for her?

She sighed; today was supposed to be the first day of her new life and all she could think of was that she wanted to be anywhere but here.

With a supreme effort she picked up herself from bed.

The silk of the nightgown she was wearing moved along with her and she tried to steady her breath. Last night she didn't want to wear that wretched wedding dress any longer so after Klaus left –and after she felt like she was at least, for that night, safe and that he wouldn't return to finish what he had started– she took off the wedding dress only to realize that she didn't have anything else to wear. Her mind was numb and she hadn't thought of searching for anything else; she just had to wear something, so she wore the nightgown that was on the bed. Sleeping naked on that bed wasn't an option! That would never be an option. She tried to block away all the thoughts that kept telling her that sooner or later, maybe even tonight, she might have to do exactly that and much more than just that, while sharing that bed with the prince of mafia. But now she didn't want to think like that. Right now she looked at her reflection at the large mirror and cringed.

The nightdress was hugging her body like a second skin, revealing more skin than it covered and making her look like she was a tempting invitation for every man that would look at her like this. With her face flushed from sleep and her hair all messed up and with her body wrapped up as a provocative present she was a picture that she really hated. At least she hated being like this in here.

She felt like she was going to be sick. This was so wrong. Her first day as a married woman should have been totally different. She should be waking up in the arms of the man she loved and not all alone in a place she hated and afraid of what would come up next.

Barefoot and feeling something close to exhaustion she walked around the luxurious bedroom and she started looking around. This was going to be her new room, a place where supposedly she should be feeling comfortable. At least she should try to settle here.

She saw two doors that were strategically placed at the right and left side of the wall opposite to the bed, in a way that were not noticeable at first sight.

She went to the first one and saw that it led at a really large adjoining lavish bathroom. As she stepped inside she realized that it was actually enormous.

Gentle lights illuminated the room that was made of warm and cold natural elements: wood, granite and white, caramel and alabaster marbles. All blended in perfect harmony.

Big mirrors, a tray with small candles, plush rugs. The details screamed of luxury but surprisingly they were not over the top.

Three wide marble steps led to a wooden deep, large, sunken bathtub that was placed in one side. There was also a separate shower room with glass doors. Along the walls there was wooden paneling and some renaissance paintings that captured beautiful _blond_ women in their depths.

She shuddered as she remembered her dream. _What is it with this house and paintings in every corner?_

She looked around a little bit more and saw that at one side there was also a table and a chaise lounge along with some bathroom furniture and vanities. She lifted her head and saw a chandelier and some angled skylights.

She huffed in annoyance. This whole room screamed of unnecessary luxury and it was starting to get on her nerves. She had grown up in a house like this once, but during the few months she had gotten used to living in her small, cozy apartment near the college. And this bathroom was basically larger than the whole place she was living just days before.

She angrily took her nightdress of and went into the shower. She huffed again in annoyance as she saw the shower panel with its many buttons and she immediately started pressing the buttons so hard that she could have broken them. After a while hot water splashed all over her skin. She stood immobilized there letting the water and reality wash over her. This was her life now. She was married to Klaus. She was never going to go back to what her life used to be some days before. She was alone and there was no way out of this.

For the first time after her father died and she was forced into this she let the tears fall and before she knew it they became a flood.

_How was she going to survive this?_

* * *

Men with black suits and vests were occupying the large office. Their presence was making it seem smaller somehow. Hateful glances were exchanged but no one dared to speak out loud. Years of blood were coming to an end as the unholy alliance between the two families declared last night and started today. A new dawn.

Klaus Mikaelson married Caroline Salvatore the night before and today was time to get down to business. It wouldn't be easy nor clean.

The heads of the greatest Mafia families were in that office today trying to settle old scores. The status quo had changed. From powerful enemies they had to be converted to useful allies and that was proving to be quite a challenge.

With the death of Giuseppe Salvatore still covering them like a dark cloud the allies of the Salvatore family were divided. They wanted to blindly prove their allegiance to Damon, but most of them didn't trust him to be the leader his father was. Damon was impulsive and reckless. Stefan was more like Giuseppe, but was soft. It all came down to how Damon would handle his new given power. The fact than none of them trusted the Mikaelsons wasn't helping Damon's case either.

On the other hand all those that were serving Mikael were sensing a change in the air. The patriarch of the Mikaelson family was losing ground and power was changing hands. Elijah was trustworthy. An honorable man that respected their treaties. With his early demise now they would have to deal with Klaus Mikaelson and it was a widely known fact that he was a force to be reckoned with.

New loyalties were being forged today and old ones that stretched 100 years to the past would have to be renewed. A new age where the underworld wouldn't be divided between the two families was fast approaching.

Damon was sitting casually in one of the big leather chairs in Mikael's office. His legs were crossed and his gun was showing. Behind him was standing an old man who was wiping his sweat from his forehead with his worn out handkerchief. He was the advisor to Giuseppe for years and now it was time to serve Damon. The only problem of course was that Damon never listened.

Klaus was behind the large wooden desk and was leaning against the big bookcase that covered the wall while he had his arms crossed against his chest. His wedding band was showing and his gaze, to anyone that didn't know him, seemed peaceful.

Kol was waiting in the wings, inspecting the scene like he was bored, but even he had to admit that this was a weird image. Some weeks ago if all of these men had been present in the same room bloodshed would have been the natural result.

He had orders to control himself, but it was really hard to do so.

To start with, he hated the fact that Damon Salvatore was allowed to freely enter their house now and walk around like he owned the place. What was unnerving him more, though, was the fact that his brother had placed himself behind their father's desk while Mikael was present. Something was amiss and he couldn't tell what.

Not even Elijah had dared to do something like that and yet Klaus here was claiming the King's throne while the King himself was pouring a glass of bourbon even if it was just morning.

He couldn't voice any of his questions in public, though. Not when Damon and members from both organizations were present.

Damon's voice filled the room.

"Stefan is at the docks as we speak, he is arranging the last details. The shipment is arriving tonight," he said while looking at the elders. This was a first step. Damon just gave information that he would never share it the past.

It was then that Klaus took charge. He straightened his body and looked directly at Damon ignoring all others including Mikael.

"As a gesture of good will you can place it in our storages." His voice held a finality that provoked most of the men in the room.

Damon's smirk was a rival of Klaus's. People started whispering, all of them divided until Mikael spoke out loud surprising them all.

"It is needless to say that our storages and everything else that belongs to us will be always at your disposal from this day forward."

Klaus nodded and Damon accepted with a nod of his own.

All whispers stopped.

* * *

As she walked out of the shower she wore a soft white bathrobe, the fabric belt tied tightly as she started drying her hair with a fluffy towel. She noticed that at the shelf she had taken the robe from there was also another. A black one. She ignored it and went for the hair drier.

She also noticed that on the marble platform of the sink there were many cosmetics and all of them were the brands she used.

Caroline sighed. Everything was so well organized supposedly for her comfort that it was creating a very creepy atmosphere.

She started pampering herself in order to feel like a normal person again.

After her shower, and crying her eyes out, it seemed her mind was calmer and clearer somehow.

She saw her reflection at one of the mirrors and nodded at herself. Crying and feeling sorry wouldn't do. She had to learn how to cope.

She looked around and saw that in the other side of the bathroom there was one more door. She went and opened it and was surprised to see that it led to a walk in closet.

She remembered that in the bedroom there were two doors. One that led into the bathroom so probably the other one was leading into this room.

Actually it was more of a really big room that was divided in two. The one side obviously belonged to her and the other to Klaus.

Her feet were lost in the cream plush carpet and she tried to brush off the fact that this place looked like a private shopping mall. She looked to her side and bit her lip. This was too much even for her.

She looked at Klaus's side and noticed that black was the prominent color. What she didn't expect was that besides costumes and formal clothing there were long sleeve shirts with low Vs, leather jackets, jeans and soft henleys. She hesitantly touched some of the shirts, but withdrew her hand feeling disgusted when she also noticed the leather holster gun belts. She was familiar with those little "extra's" since Damon and Stefan had a load of those back at home. But they never left anything like that near her.

Of course there were no guns at sight. He wouldn't leave guns lying around her now would he? Good for him because given the chance she would definitely use one against him!

She noticed that her headache had returned with a vengeance and she moved to her side and she saw all kind of clothes. All _her_ clothes were there folded and neatly placed on hangers and in piles. Elena probably had brought them here some days ago. She cringed at the idea that some strangers had been touching her stuff. She also felt stupid for not searching for her clothes last night instead of sleeping in that horrible nightdress.

She started mentally scolding herself, but then everything else that was on her side caught her attention.

Her new wardrobe had more clothes, actually. Gowns and elegant casual dresses that shined under strategically placed lights. She carefully touched the delicate fabrics. All of them made by world known designers, but none was actually her style. A little voice inside her mind though kept whispering that dresses like these were every girl's style.

She couldn't deny it. The fashionista inside her was throwing a party. In that wardrobe was all that a girl could dream of. Uncountable beautiful designer dresses and gorgeous shoes. Handbags and accessories.

She also saw a remote control. She took it in her hand and started playing with the buttons. Before she knew it hidden drawers and built up secret doors were sliding out.

In the drawers there were bottles of many perfumes, not just her own, and a series of sunglasses along with more accessories. Hairpins, tiara bands, haircombs and jewelry for the hair.

She then took a step back and gasped.

In the top drawer there were gems and jewelry. All fit for a princess. Sets and stand alone pieces. Necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, even tiaras. The diamonds were glowing and tempting her to slide her fingers over their enticing surface.

For a moment she stared at all this luxury almost mesmerized. She was always surrounded by money and was always pampered and spoilt, but this was just too much even for her. She looked closer and saw that in the wall there was also a safe box. She really didn't want to know what was in there.

Caroline started realizing what being married to Klaus actually meant and it frightened her.

She closed her eyes and threw the remote control away like it was made out of fire. Everything in here didn't belong to her. It all belonged to Mrs. Mikaelson and that made her feel extremely uncomfortable, turning her stomach over.

She took some of her old clothes, just a pair of black jeans, a simple dark grey top and a black thin cardigan. She smirked at the fact that the happy bride would be dressed in colors that were meant for mourning and swore that she wouldn't even try on anything else no matter how beautiful or shiny they looked like.

Everything in here came with a price and she really hated the aspect of having to wear all those things and being paraded around as Klaus Mikaelson's dutiful little wife.

* * *

There was an exchange of silent looks that created a heavy atmosphere inside the old office, but no one dared speak out loud.

When Mikael offered his families storage and everything else to the Salvatore's disposal it actually meant not only his family's properties, but also those that belonged to anyone that had declared an alliance with the Mikaelsons. The only problem was that from those present no one was ready to give such privileges to the Salvatores. And that caused a form of hostility to spread all around, but no man present was able to directly express it.

Finally one of Mikael's advisors came forth. A short bald man named Emil. He wore baggy pants and an old plaid shirt that looked at least two sizes bigger than he was. He swallowed nervously and looked at Klaus who sent him a hard stare. As always Niklaus Mikaelson never responded well when it came to his father's confidents.

"Mikael if I may speak…" he asked with his raspy voice.

Mikael nodded in affirmation.

The man coughed nervously and looked around.

He then straightened his back and spoke clearly.

"You are asking us too much. For years we have set territory rules that won't be that easy to break. You should understand that we need some time to evaluate the current standing, don't you?" he anxiously asked.

Whispers sounded all around and before Mikael had a chance to answer the unimaginable happened.

Klaus moved and sat in Mikael's chair. He rested his hands on the table and looked relaxed as everyone suddenly became speechless at his bold move. What caused even more surprise to everyone present was the fact that Mikael remained stoic with no reaction.

Klaus looked at the man that dared speak dismissively.

"I understand your uncertainty Emil, but here is the current standing. Today is my first day as a married man and instead of spending it with my lovely bride I am here listening to your objections."

Emil coughed uncomfortably under Klaus's sharp gaze.

"I understand but…"

"But you are opposed to the new order," Klaus said with an authority that made all the men standing look at him in awe.

Klaus leaned on the chair as a king would at his throne. He rested his elbows on the chairs arms and connected his palms together in front of his chest.

"I would suggest that everyone take a good look around. This is your family. From now on we work together. All of us. No objections, no second thoughts. If anyone has a problem with this the doors are open," he casually said as he placed his hands on the table again. He started playing with a sharp envelope opener "However it is well known that my family and _I_ appreciate loyalty above all. Anyone who decides to leave today breaks this loyalty. And that is… _treason_ ," Klaus said. Malice was hidden beneath his calm posture as he let the opener fall from his hands with a thud.

"So gentlemen what shall it be?" he asked with a smirk on his face.

Emil didn't dare speak he just lowered his head. Most of members that had allied with the Mikaelsons turned to look at Mikael, but he remained silent.

Damon narrowed his eyes at this obvious show of power, but he immediately put back his poker face.

The ball was now at Klaus's court.

* * *

She moved around in the bedroom feeling uneasy. She literally felt trapped. Relentless gloomy thoughts kept tormenting her mind. She wanted to talk to Bonnie, to see Matt again. She wanted to get out of here and to return to her own life. But she knew that if she were to get out of that room she would have to face the Mikaelsons and… _Klaus._

She kept moving around the room like a caged animal and just like last night she went to the balcony. She needed to breath and to feel less contained. In the daylight the view of the gardens and of the beautiful lake was even more mesmerizing and it did have a strange calming effect on her. She hated the room, but she had to admit that the view was beautiful.

She kept watching how the lake was glowing under the sun and she imagined for a moment how it would be if she liked being here. If she was the happy bride she was supposed to be. How would it feel if she wanted to be with Klaus, if she cared for him and if it was love that made her marry him?

She extended her hand and spread her fingers. The sunlight casted between her digits and the golden wedding band on her finger sparkled.

She lowered her hand and shivered. All of this was nothing more of a forced parody. Klaus could never be the man of her dreams and she could never become the smiling forgiving and obedient wife he certainly expected her to be. The very thought of spending her life with him, of sharing her bed with him was repugnant to her.

Truth is that in the last months she had realized that she craved freedom more than anything else. She hated all those unspoken rules that were placed upon her just for being Giuseppe's daughter. And now it would be even worse. As the wife of Klaus Mikaelson she would have to bow down to him. She would be bound to a man that made and forced his own rules on others. And she was afraid that she would have to learn to obey a man as cruel as him. This arranged union would eventually create an illusion of matrimonial bliss to the outside world ,but in reality it would be her own personal hell.

Her father was always pressuring her to do things she didn't like, but at least he always protected her. What would Klaus do with her now? He didn't care. People need to have a heart in order to feel and care for others and she doubted that Klaus had one.

All those thoughts made her head throb painfully and she jolted when she heard a voice coming from behind her. She sharply turned her head half expecting to see her…husband but thankful her eyes met Anna's figure.

The girl kindly smiled at her.

"I didn't mean to startle you Mrs. Mikaelson," she gently apologized.

Caroline closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She hated being called Mrs. Mikaelson.

"It is okay Anna don't worry about it," she said as she tried to smile back to Anna, but failed miserably.

"Mr. Mikaelson said to inform you that your brother is here and to ask you to join them as soon as you can," Anna told her.

Caroline seethed internally. Klaus's orders made her mad. Who did he think he was anyway? Not to mention that the word brother made her ill these days.

She didn't want to see either Damon or Stefan and most certainly she didn't want to see Klaus. Not today or anytime soon for that matter.

And she most certainly wasn't a lapdog for Klaus to order around.

"Which brother would that be?" she asked with a hard tone.

"Mr. Damon."

"Okay, Anna, thank you," Caroline said as she turned to the balcony again. This time the beauty of the scenery didn't touch her in any way.

"Would you like to come and see them? The whole family is already downstairs," Anna hesitantly informed her as she took notice of the way she was dressed.

Caroline turned and looked at Anna who was expectantly watching her.

"No it won't be necessary," she said and noticed the look of confusion in the girl's eyes.

"Maybe later Anna," she hurriedly answered hoping for the girl to leave.

"As you wish Mrs. Mikaelson," she politely said bowing her head.

All this formality was quite weird for Caroline. From the looks of it Anna was about the same age as her. She was like her and Bonnie actually. In any other case they could even be friends.

"You can call me Caroline, Anna," she said to the brunette.

Anna smiled gently, but then bit her lip.

"I don't know if it is proper Mrs. Mikaelson," she carefully said.

Caroline sighed. Obviously the Mikaelsons ran a tight ship around here. There was a certain code of behavior in this house and she didn't know if she could abide by it.

"Well at least you can call me by my name when we are alone, how does that sound?" she proposed.

Anna smiled and nodded. "Of course," she eagerly accepted and Caroline returned her smile. If she was to live here then at least she could start getting to know people and to connect with them. Preferably people that had nothing to do with the family from hell.

Anna looked at Caroline like she was about to say something, but she just stood there.

"Would you like anything else Anna?" she asked her.

Anna looked skeptical for a moment but then her gaze became serious.

"If I may Caroline?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"The whole family is gathered downstairs and Mr. Klaus always expects his suggestions to be followed. Wouldn't it be best if you were to…" she stopped her sentence and dropped her gaze to her feet as she bit her lip.

Obviously Anna was afraid to speak her mind. Caroline was the wife of Klaus Mikaelson and a Salvatore after all.

"You can speak your mind with me Anna. Tell me, it would be best if I were to do what?" she asked even though she knew what Anna would tell her.

Klaus had given her an order. To bring his new wife downstairs. And Anna was to obey. The only problem was that she wasn't one to be ordered around so easily and even though she didn't want to cause any trouble for Anna she wasn't going to back down. She didn't want to see Damon today and she was going to meet the Mikaelsons when she was ready not the other way around.

Anna looked at her almost pleadingly.

"Well, if you were to wear something more appropriate for the occasion and join them at the living room it would certainly make Mr. Klaus very happy," Anna said literally in one breath.

She wasn't reprimanding her but she was trying to convince her to follow the rules.

Too bad that she wasn't one to follow rules.

"I am afraid Anna that it won't be possible. You see…"

She didn't complete her sentence as suddenly the enticing aroma of strong coffee caught her attention and then she finally noticed that behind Anna, inside the room, was also a cart that she must have brought with her when she entered the bedroom.

She moved around Anna and went closer to the wheeled table.

A linen crisp, white tablecloth covered the cart and on it there were many types of breakfast items on a silver tray. Juice, milk, coffee, chocolate, all kind of bagels and croissants. An omelet and French toast and even vegetables and fruits.

She also noticed a single red rose. She carefully approached the cart like it was made out of something explosive and noticed that the under the rose there was a folded card.

She questionably looked at Anna, but she only smiled and playfully shrugged at her.

She took the deeply dark red rose and held it close. She looked at it as if it was something she hadn't seen before and her hand like it had a will of its own brought the flower closer to her face and she inhaled the sweet scent deeply.

She then carefully took the card in her hands and she unfolded the note.

.

" _Good morning Caroline,_

_I didn't know what you preferred so I had the kitchen prepare you a variety in hopes that there would be something that you would like._

_I would have liked to be with you when you woke up and to join you for breakfast, but I wasn't sure if you would have welcomed such a thought._

_I can't wait to see you and spent the rest of the day with you._

_Save me some of your time…_

_Fondly Klaus."_

_._

She stared at the note for some time. She noticed Klaus's elegant handwriting and she couldn't take her eyes away from each word. Her former anger evaporated and all that was left was a sense of confusion and wonder. She forgot that Anna's eyes were on her and all her own eyes could read were the last two words.

" _Fondly Klaus."_

Her heart skipped a beat. She would have never expected such considerate behavior from him.

She had to admit that she had been afraid that she would have to join him and his whole family for breakfast, but obviously she wouldn't have to do such a thing today. She couldn't help but wonder if Klaus was trying to be helpful.

The strong smell from the rose made her a little dizzy and she didn't realize that she had grabbed the flower's stem tight until she felt a thorn piercing the sensitive skin of her thumb. She winced as the rose fell from her hands and a drop of blood littered the tablecloth.

The blood stain made her heart beat faster. She couldn't help but think that the first day of her marriage was beginning with blood. Metaphorically and literally. A drop of blood from the thorn of the rose that Klaus gave to her. Ironically he had already started hurting her even if his intentions were good.

She looked at the rose at her feet and saw more of her blood on the thorn slowly running its way over the hard surface of the thorn.

Her finger kept bleeding and she could barely hear Anna asking her if she was okay. All she could think was that this was appropriate. She was entering a world of blood and this was her own blood baptism.

"I am okay, Anna," she said in a whisper as she brought her thumb to her mouth gently sucking the wound and tasting her own bitter blood.

And then she saw the note she was still holding and all became clear.

" _I would have liked to be with you when you woke up…"_

She just realized the hidden meaning behind that sentence and she barely restrained herself from throwing the note on the floor.

" _I can't wait to see you and spent the rest of the day with you…"_

She didn't want to see him. She just didn't. All she could think about was how he had touched her last night. How his eyes glinted with possession.

" _Possession"_ she thought.

One that would last. Because she wouldn't have to spent just the rest of the day with him, but the rest of her life.

As his wife…as his possession…

It was the first time in her life that she wanted to disappear. The simple words on paper made her feel like she couldn't breathe or move.

" _Fondly Klaus"_

This was his signature, but she knew that there was no fondness between them. No love not even sympathy.

This was going to be more than just a possession. This was going to be a continual battle of emotions and of a harsh reality that was beginning with blood.

"I won't need any of these Anna," she said pointing at the trolley with all the food as she felt nausea overcoming her, "Please take the cart and go," she demanded in a desperate voice.

Anna looked at her with concern as she kneeled and picked the rose up.

"Are you sure… _Caroline_?" Anna asked almost with care like she was a little bit afraid of calling her by her name.

"Yes, I am sure," she said and she could swear that the paper in her hand was burning her.

Anna nodded and went and put the rose on the dresser. Then she went to immediately follow her orders, but as she was about to leave she demurely asked Caroline, "What would you like me to tell to Mr. Mikaelson, Caroline?" she asked slowly.

"Tell him that regrettably I am still recovering from last night's excitement and I won't be able to join him any time soon. I am sure he'll understand," she bitterly told Anna.

Anna looked at her with sympathy and nodded. She then left the room leaving her alone.

Right now her emotions raged. She wanted to scream and she wanted to tear the note she was holding in a thousand pieces, but for some reason she found that she couldn't. She put the note in her back pocket and her eyes couldn't look away from the bloody rose on her dresser.

She felt like she was suffocating. All she knew was that she had to get out of her room. She wanted to get some air and sort her thoughts out.

Most importantly she wanted to find a way to put some distance between her and Klaus even if she knew that it was impossible.

She decisively got out of the room. She knew she had to be careful and to avoid pretty much everyone, but she couldn't stay in that room any longer.

She had to get out.

* * *

Damon looked around and raised his eyebrows. Internally he was worried. Klaus was shuffling cards and he didn't know what kind of power struggles were taking place inside the Mikaelson family. Obviously Klaus was gaining power.

In the mean time he had not gained complete control over his kingdom since his father's death. For now he had to take it slow. Observe and wait.

He smirked and looked at Klaus.

"Well, as I always say, the more the merrier," he said sounding amused.

Klaus smirked back and looked at Damon.

They started talking about all the details and their plans. Arrangements for their shipments and the way they would push them to their buyers. There was mention of several gangs and cartels. Organizations known to the public and others completely off the charts. Soon all the men present started participating in the discussion. All except Mikael who was gazing out, through the window, into the gardens.

Eventually the orders were given by Klaus and Damon.

"Once you place your cargo at our storage facilities you can send some of your men to help ours with the maintenance. Kol is an expert at this but I am sure you would like to supervise the status of your products," Klaus said and looked at his little brother who send a death glare at him.

Damon smirked at that.

"Stefan can show your brother the ropes. We are marketing different kinds of guns lately. We haven't pushed them in the market yet so we will need to take special care of them," he said drinking his scotch.

"Sure thing, mate," Klaus said "Although as you might have noticed in the past Kol has a special attachment with army hardware," he said nonchalant.

Damon's eyes glinted at that.

"I haven't noticed actually," he said smiling, insinuating Kol's incompetence.

"That could be because lately I prefer bats," Kol said smiling innocently.

Everyone in the room remembered how exactly Kol had used his bat on Damon a long time ago.

Klaus laughed at that and picked himself up.

"No arguments here brother," he said and Kol raised his glass in salute before he drank his liquor in one go.

Most of the men that Damon had brought with him tensed but Damon let out a cocky laugh.

"If memory serves I still owe you a golf rematch," he said and almost everyone in the room laughed since they did remember that this rematch had already taken place. Several times.

Damon got up and shook hands with Klaus.

"Tomorrow night I am expecting you and everyone that is present here to come to the Salvatore manor. We still have many things to discuss," he said with a serious expression.

Klaus nodded. Both of their families needed to start organizing against their common threat. The reason why they supposedly had to unite their families in the first place. The Lockwoods.

All the men started talking again about general details, but no one even mentioned the obvious. In all of this Mikael stood on the sidelines and remained there.

His presence was practically nonexistent and from the looks of it the gavel was changing hands.

* * *

Meredith Fell walked through the hospital's corridors. Eventually she went to the drug storage room. She opened the door with her security card and went in, but not before she double-checked to make sure that no one saw her going in.

This place was dark and cold. The right illumination and temperature had to always be maintained in this room.

Her heels clicked on the floor as the dim lights in the room flickered.

She took out her safe skeleton key from the pocket of her medical robe. She opened a locker and pressed the right security code at the safety system were a certain prescription was saved.

She took a deep breath and did what she had been doing for the last six months. She took out from her pocket a small plastic bag with pills in it and then opened the prescription bottle she had just taken out from the safety shelf.

She bit her lip and with trembling hands she replaced the pills the bottle had with the ones she had in her plastic bag.

She put the plastic bag back in her pocket and held the bottle in her hand.

The name _Mikaelson_ was written in the drug information of the prescription.

* * *

Their meeting was over and most men from both organizations had departed.

Damon had stayed in hope of seeing Caroline and making sure that she was all right, but when he had gotten out of the office he had seen one of the maids going to Klaus and talking privately to him. Normally he wouldn't pay any attention, but after that Klaus had informed him that unfortunately Caroline was _preoccupied_ and she wouldn't be able to see him today.

He wanted to object, but the last thing he needed now was to irritate Klaus knowing that his sister was in his hands. This thought was unsettling, but he couldn't do much.

Klaus had then told Kol to escort him outside while he and Mikael went back to the office.

Kol was against it and so was he, but Klaus insisted. Obviously enjoying playing his little games with both of them.

Damon smirked at that. Maybe he should join the games then. If he remembered correctly he did owe Kol something for his little speech at the wedding reception from last night and thankfully Stefan was not around to hold him back.

As they walked down the massive hall he discretely looked at the cameras on the walls.

Damon looked at Kol smirking.

"Since we are one big family now maybe I should share _**a little detail**_ with you…" he said as he rolled his jackets sleeves up.

"By all means…" Kol said bored.

Damon grabbed his arm and they both stopped walking. They were at a relatively dark corner now.

"Those cameras you know, are covering certain angles. While they are turned, for a few seconds, from one side there is always a missing angle," Damon said gazing pointedly at the camera in the wall.

"Your point?" Kol asked him looking even more bored than before and itching to hit the man that stood next to him.

Damon's smirk turned wider.

Before Kol could even think twice Damon shoved him into the wall and before Kol could react Damon had his gun pressed against his neck.

"In a few seconds I could kill you and disappear, no evidence no killer," he said while Kol stared him with undiluted hate.

"That been said," Damon's fist contacted with Kol's stomach while his other hand was still targeting his opponent with a loaded gun.

The force of the strike was so hard that Kol gasped and fell on his knees breathless and spitting blood. He tried to reach for his gun, but Damon's was pointed straight at his temple, so that wouldn't be a wise move and he knew it. Damn him!

"That little speech you made last night was very entertaining," Damon said while he kneeled in front of Kol, his finger dangerously caressing the trigger.

"My kind of fun is a little bit different as you might remember from our latest golf rematch; the last time I sent you in the hospital for how much? A month? No! That can't be it! It was much more right?" Damon grinned at him while patting him friendly on the shoulder, never lowering his gun.

"Alliance or not, threaten my sister again and your next trip will be in a grave," he warned.

Kol tried to shove him away, but he couldn't move. That bastard had cracked his ribs.

Damon laughed.

"Easy there, we don't want you to hurt yourself now," he said smirking and getting up.

Kol ignored the pain that spread through his body and stood on his feet shaking in rage.

"You are not fast enough Salvatore, you've missed the missing angle," he told him pointed at the camera that was now recording them.

"Actually if you or anyone harms even a hair from Caroline's head you will notice that I don't pay attention to…little details," Damon said sending a clear message, knowing that his little show was now being recorded for the rest of the Mikaelsons to see. Giuseppe would be so disappointed with him right now. This was not the best way to start an alliance, but the old man was finally dead and he was going to do things his way. And no one was going to threaten people that he cared about without consequences. Even if that meant the Mikaelsons. Besides he had played nice for too long today. It was definitely not his thing.

"Make no mistake, I might have inherited Giuseppe's place, but I am still me and I still like to dance," he said winking happily at Kol like nothing happened between them.

Damon put his gun back at his belt the moment that the guards arrived. Klaus followed right behind them, sending them away before things got out of hand.

He saw that his brother was holding the side of his stomach while blood was on his chin.

"Is anything wrong?" he asked looking disappointed with Kol. There was no excuse for Damon to have taken the upper hand in a battle between them.

Damon shrugged.

"You know your security needs upgrading, especially now that my sister lives here," he said pointing at Kol.

Kol was ready to attack when Klaus raised his hand in a forbidding gesture without taking his eyes of Damon. It wasn't a surprise that Kol obeyed the silent order his brother gave him. After Mikael it was known, that at least in public, Klaus was not to be disrespected.

"No need for worries, mate, I am completely capable of protecting, _**my wife**_ ," Klaus said with an evil glint. Caroline was now his. She was his wife first before anything else.

Damon pressed his lips together, but kept his façade on. He stepped closer to Klaus.

"Therefore I am counting that her safety here is your prime concern. No one, would want me to suspect anything different, _**mate**_ ," he said with irony coloring his words.

Klaus smirked at that,

"Of course Damon, unfortunately though, as I told you before, Caroline declined to see you. Don't take it the wrong way but she had a long night and she is probably exhausted," he said insinuating things that never happened between him and his bride.

Damon tried to control his anger, knowing that Klaus was provoking him. Unfortunately Klaus was not such an easy pick as Kol was and this was still their court.

"Tell her that I will call her then," he said.

"Sure, I am sure she _will_ call back," Klaus said knowing that Caroline would not call her brothers. His sweetheart seemed to be really angry with her family after all. Which in all honestly, he could relate with her completely. Besides it was in his best interest for Caroline to cut ties with the Salvatores. That way she would only have him to turn to.

Damon knew that too. Caroline was not going to call them.

"I'll be on my way then," he said and turned to leave, but then stopped.

He looked at the Mikaelson brothers with a smirk.

"Before I forget, give my regards to your lovely sister, I can't wait to spend some more _quality_ time with her," he said and left.

"I am going to kill him," Kol hissed.

Klaus looked at him unimpressed. His brother was obviously in pain. Well, he had it coming.

"How about you clean yourself up first?" he said and turned and left leaving Kol behind.

Kol's glare was one of a maniac's at that moment. Things weren't going to stay like this.

He left too, and no one noticed that Caroline had watched the whole scene standing behind a wall not far from them.

She had been holding her breath all this time. Damon had tried to protect her even though she knew that it was in vain. Her only protection here was Klaus and Mikael and she was afraid that it meant that she was basically on her own.

Klaus's possessive tone as he referred to her as his wife was chilling her to the bone.

At least Damon had tried. It was not enough. He had sold her to them; his concern was coming after a major delay. But it was something. Not much. But something.

She turned and left.

.

.

.

She kept aimlessly walking. She had managed to pass through the hallways and the corridors and she was now out of the house heading to the gardens. All this was too much. She didn't know what she was feeling anymore. Seeing Damon today even from afar hurt her more than she thought it would. He was her brother and he was supposed to be the one to help her. He did try in his own way, but he still was the one that handed her over to Klaus. She didn't know how she was supposed to react and what to do. She needed to clear her thoughts. All she wanted was a moment to be left alone. This place was vast so she could certainly find a place where no one would come looking for her, couldn't she?

If she had to be honest she really didn't want to see Klaus. After last night she wasn't so fond of the idea that she would have to deal with him. She knew that she was postponing the inevitable, but she couldn't do something else. When she saw him with Damon and she heard him talking about her she felt out of place. Vulnerable and lost. She didn't want to confront him any time soon. Or at least she needed some time to sort out her thoughts.

Before she knew it she found herself at the place in the gardens where the reception took place last night. It was day now and it all seemed so different under the bright sun. The clean up crew was there. People were cleaning up and moving things around, but there were not that many.

Last night there had been too many people and so much noise. The hang up lights had casted a strange glow and it seemed like they were mocking her with their fairytale imagery. Her nightmare had been all dressed up to look like every girls dream.

But now under the harsh light of the sun, even with the slight commotion, everything seemed soulless. Now it was time to face reality and to truly dance with the devil.

For a moment she had to steady her breath. Last night she had danced literally with Klaus and right now she could still picture that image as a shadow of a memory.

She looked around and bitterly noticed that there were guards that were following her and discretely casting looks at her. Most probably they had certain orders. Supposedly to keep her safe. She knew better though. In the last days before the wedding Damon had basically locked her up and had ordered his men to make sure she wouldn't try to escape. She didn't expect things to be any different in this house.

She kept looking around and got distracted. People were working around her, gathering tables and chairs, storing away glasses and crystals, taking away the flower arrangements and she had to bite her lip. All this seemed so surreal. The wedding actually happened. She was married and last night in these grounds she had truly danced with her husband.

She took some more steps and looked at the garden stage. People were collecting the sound systems, the microphones and the cables but all she could see was the same memory. Her and Klaus dancing.

Why was it that he was affecting her so? His words, the way they moved. She could still feel her skin all tingly.

She shut her eyes for a moment and turned around to leave.

She started walking again and in the distance she saw the small lake and the stone path that could be seen from her bedroom balcony.

She instantly turned around and walked in the opposite direction. She took some more steps and went under the shade of a big tree. It was quiet and the shade and the gentle breeze relaxed her a bit. The flowery scent in the air was soothing. She sat on a bench and her hands immediately started rubbing her temples.

"Good morning sister."

At the sound of that chirper voice she inwardly groaned. Just great. She had wandered around in hope to be left alone and now she had to deal with Rebekah. Now the same smell of the flowers she had found soothing moments before were asphyxiating.

She looked up and saw the smug smile of her new sister and then her own lips curled into a smile of their own. She knew that she shouldn't show any sign of weakness so she had to force herself to act quickly around them. _Easier said than done._

She also knew that she had to deal with the Mikaelsons sooner or later. And after last night she had no doubts that they were not going to make her life easy here. Especially Rebekah and Kol. And to think that just days before the thought that she would have to deal with them would have been simply unbelievable.

The memory of Damon punching Kol from just minutes before came into her mind and for a moment she wished she could do the same. Instead she steeled herself and stood up.

She took Rebekah's appearance in. She was dressed to kill and looked exactly the opposite from her. She couldn't stop herself from wondering if she had dressed up like this for her brother. Damon was here, or at least he was here just minutes before, and he and Rebekah would soon follow hers and Klaus's footsteps.

Rebekah didn't seem to be like her, though. She looked confident and not pressured at all.

But then why was she here and not with Damon? For what she knew her brother and Rebekah had not spent much time together or any at all. Maybe Rebekah wasn't in a better place after all? She just knew how to hide her emotions better? Or she just had more time to come to terms with what she had to do.

For a moment she was about to allow herself to give to Rebekah a chance, or at least the benefit of doubt when it came to her character, but as she saw the way the blond bombshell was looking at her she instantly changed her mind. Rebekah was no different from any of them. She was cold and unrelenting and she enjoyed playing games with her. Games that could hurt her in the process. And they didn't even really know each other!

As Rebekah looked at her simple jeans and gloomy blouse she saw her raising her eyebrows in surprise. She probably didn't expect her brother's new bride to be dressed in simple grey and black. Colors that suited a widow better.

She knew that she didn't look like the happy bride today, but honestly she didn't care.

"Good morning, Rebekah," she responded keeping her smile intact.

If it was another person she would probably try to honestly reach out to her, but she had a feeling that with Rebekah it would be useless. And that made her miss Bonnie and Matt even more. She didn't have any friends here. Only enemies. And she was alone with them.

"Did you _sleep_ well Caroline?" Rebekah asked while her eyes shone with mischief.

She gritted her teeth for a moment, but she kept her calm. She knew that Rebekah was provoking her with her wedding night, but she had to control herself. What was there to answer anyway? Well, Rebekah, I didn't sleep much, but at least your brother had the decency to leave me be?

How well would such conversation with Rebekah go? She cringed at the thought. Besides her love life or lack of it was no one's concern. Not even Klaus's if she could help it!

"Very well thank you," she answered although she knew that a female trained eye could detect the heavy eyelids and the bags underneath her eyes no matter how much make-up she used.

Rebekah snickered at that and smiled brightly obviously enjoying herself.

"Is there something you need Rebekah?" she tiredly asked the other blond when she saw that she was going to keep taunting her.

Rebekah's smile grew bigger and that frightened her.

"Actually yes, mother asked for you. You see in this house we take breakfast _as a family_ and since the days before your wedding you didn't honor us with your presence and today you ran away from the house, she wants to talk to you in private." Rebekah said with her most innocent voice, but her eyes sparkled threateningly.

The way Rebekah was looking at her was indicating that Esther was not pleased with her.

Caroline's breath hitched. She didn't want to be alone with that woman. She had to admit that the matriarch of the Mikaelson family looked scary to her. Besides last night she had constantly felt Esther's eyes always following her and that unnerved her. She looked as intimidating as Mikael.

She was starting to regret not staying in her room. Right now Klaus's idea of taking breakfast there and even spending time with him seemed way better. It could have spared her from this.

Esther was a terrifying person.

Rebekah and Kol were playing games, but when it came to Mikael and Esther things took a dangerous turn. And she most certainly didn't want to go there with them. She panicked and didn't know what to say in order to get herself out of her predicament. Being married to their devil spawn should be enough! Why would she have to deal with the rest of them?

"Come on sister, mother doesn't like to be kept waiting," Rebekah ordered her but before she could reply a male voice interrupted them.

"I am afraid Bekah that mother will unfortunately have to wait a little longer," Klaus said as he stepped next to Caroline and his hand wrapped casually around her waist.

She stood motionless as his hold kept her next to him. She hadn't heard him approach and it was the first time she had seen him since their last encounter. Since the moment he unbuttoned her wedding dressed and played with her fear and desire. She shivered at the memory and she hoped against hope that he didn't detect her reaction. But judging from the smirk on his lips as he looked at her she highly doubted it.

She didn't want to, but she blushed at the memory of being close to him as he undressed her slowly and she instinctively tried to move away from his hold but his grip was firm.

She then saw that he looked different from all the times she had seen him before. Which was twice in her house and yesterday at their wedding.

Today he was dressed less casually. Leather jacket over a soft henley shirt and a pair of jeans. He also wore necklaces around his neck and she felt the weird need to inspect them closely and she internally cursed herself for her thoughts. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she concentrate when she was around him?

She looked at Rebekah hoping to take her mind of Klaus's proximity and she noticed that Rebekah hadn't seen him coming either. She saw her take a step back at the stern gaze that Klaus sent her way.

For a moment she was glad that this look didn't have her as a target. But she couldn't help but wonder how long it would take for him to look at her the way he was looking Rebekah now. And obviously Rebekah knew better than to provoke her brother when he was like this because her whole posture changed.

She almost burst out laughing when she saw Rebekah pouting like a little girl.

But she just stood there speechless and let the scene unfold in front of her. She did try to get away from his hold once more but without success. If anything she managed to have him hold her tighter than before.

"You know mother, Nik. She wants to talk with Caroline _now_ ," Rebekah quickly said.

"Well you should inform her then that Caroline had to go out… with her _husband_ ," he said and turned to look at his…wife.

At the mention of him being her husband she felt her stomach turning and not in a good way. But it was at that moment that she realized that she was too tired to fight both Rebekah and Klaus all at once. As of now it seemed that Klaus was the lesser evil. At least if she wanted to buy some time before getting to meet Esther.

So she endured his claim ignoring the warm feeling that spread in her bones for the first time today.

He then focused his attentions at her; He stood in front of her and his hands traveled over her upper arms. His tall frame blocking Rebekah's body from her sight.

He was standing against the sun. His body bathed in sun and his face was illuminated completely. It was the first time she could really see and examine his features clearly. The first time she noticed exactly how blue his eyes were. How his features seemed both delicate and masculine at the same time. She noticed his raspberry lips and the fact that his visage could seem even angelic. She raised her eyes to his and she almost gasped with the intensity she saw there.

His left hand slowly lowered to her waist and his fingers gently pressed her skin over the thin material of her blouse . For a moment she forgot that Rebekah was there.

She couldn't deny that he was an attractive man, but she couldn't understand why she was feeling so lost in his presence. No matter how much she despised him she felt again the same weird sensation she had felt when they were dancing or when they were alone at his…at their bedroom.

She felt like she was standing at the edge of a very steep slippery cliff. On the precipice of darkness.

"What do you say Caroline?" his voice sounding low and tempting.

"How about I take out for breakfast," he suggested and she could tell that he knew perfectly well that she hadn't eaten anything from what he sent to her earlier in their room. But now that was giving him the opportunity to ask her to go out with him and to spent time together alone.

"Just you and me," he winked at her as his other hand moved tenderly to her cheek. He seemed so eager for her to accept his invitation.

She shifted uncomfortably forgetting completely that Rebekah was watching them. And yet she couldn't break the spell he had her encased in.

" _I…"_

Whatever she was about to say got lost under Rebekah's exasperated voice that snapped her out of her reverie. She blinked twice unable to understand her own reactions.

"Really Nik!" Rebekah intervened as she obviously didn't like what she was watching.

She nervously gulped and took a step back breaking that weird connection she had formed with Klaus.

_Stupid it was stupid_. She couldn't believe that she was letting herself get carried away like that! It was making no sense. She didn't know him! She hated him! He was one of the heads of a mafia organization for God's sake and yet she seemed completely disoriented around him. What the hell was happening to her? She just had known him for a few hours! He was still the man that forced her into a marriage she didn't want!

She had to control herself. Now!

She heard Klaus sigh and as she was ready to move away his fingers wrapped around her wrist forcing her to stay by his side as he turned around to deal with his sister.

The irritation in his voice and gaze undeniable.

"If you haven't noticed Rebekah today is mine's and Caroline's first day as a married couple. We need some alone time, sister. I am sure mother will understand," his voice indicating that there was no room for further argument.

Rebekah was about to say something, but she stopped when she saw the way Klaus looked at her.

"As you wish brother, but you are the one that will have to deal with mother later," she said bitterly and turned to leave.

"Like always," he mocked his sister as she left them alone.

The moment that Rebekah was far away from them Caroline pulled her hand from his grip and stepped away from him.

He smiled at her almost shyly and that drew her attention because for a moment the confident and mocking look he always had was absent. He seemed almost amiable.

"Come along, love," he gently told her expecting from her to follow, but she just stood there causing him to look at her questionably.

She took a deep breath uncertain of what to do or say when it came to him.

Last night his mood swings were too many for her to follow or even understand. He had been distant and yet kind during the wedding, but the hint of darkness was always there. When he had kissed her and danced with her he seemed a mixture of seduction and allurement and when they were finally alone, even though he let her be, he had shown himself to be possessive, controlling and yet merciful. He was confusing to no end.

He seemed to be a riddle and she didn't know how to proceed from here.

"You don't have to do this," she started ,trying to sound casual, but he stepped closer and looked at her intently.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Go out with me. I can go back inside and…"

"Have you considered the possibility that I am being honest and I really want to spend some time with you away from here?" he interrupted her grinning.

Her gaze abruptly locked with his. Determination shining in the green shade of her eyes.

"No." She downright answered with no qualms or uncertainty in her voice.

He sighed at that. But couldn't stop himself from smiling at how absolute and fearless she looked.

"Well, sweetheart, I really do," he told her enjoying the way she was looking at him. The fire in her eyes was a look to savor.

The sunlight that was reflecting on her hair paled in comparison to her eyes' luminosity. She was strong, beautiful, full of light. He was close enough to smell the scent that was radiating from her skin and he had to control himself from licking his own lips. She smelled like summer and spring. Fragrant and sweet.

He still remembered how soft her lips were when he kissed her last night at their wedding and at the table. How her hair smelled as he had her in his arms. So close, yet so far away.

He had this feeling in her presence that startled him. All he knew was that he had to spend time with her. To get to know her. To make her give him a chance.

For some reason this girl provoked feelings that seemed so far gone for him. Sunshine, warmth, life. If there was a smell for all the above that was how her scene could be described to him.

She looked even more beautiful now than she did yesterday. He smirked at her choice of clothing, but he preferred her like that. Her top and her jeans were tightly hugging her form in all the right places; complimenting the delicious curves of her body. A body that he couldn't wait to explore. A body that was now covered in black and grey colors. He knew that she was still mourning her father, but something told him that that was not the only reason why she had chosen those colors for today. She was trying to make a statement, but little did she know that black suited her and his tastes. As his eyes inspected her he could see that she looked tired. Sleep deprivation did nothing for him, but obviously it affected her and yet still she looked radiant.

He carefully took another step closer to her. He was careful to keep a slight distance between them. To make sure that his movements would indicate that he was honest and friendly with her. Her eyes were suspiciously analyzing his every move. He wasn't a fool. He knew his reputation and he knew that she knew it too. Usually he was proud of that said reputation, but right now it posed a problem with Caroline. She was a Salvatore after all and she certainly must have heard the worst of him from her family. Admittedly what she had heard and believed of him was probably true, but he was coming to realize that he didn't want to hurt her and that was indeed confusing him.

Putting those thoughts aside he admired how she stood her ground. And at that moment reality struck him even harder than last night. He fancied Caroline _Mikaelson_ more than he should. It wasn't just the sexual attraction. He was enjoying her spirit and her attitude. It was too soon to tell, but he could feel her getting under his skin. Maybe following her example and keeping her at a distance as she was trying to do with him was the safe and logical thing to do, but then again sterile logic has never been his course of action.

"Why?" she asked, her voice showing signs of suspicion.

He smiled at the way she scoffed.

"This is the first day of our life together," he reminded her and he had to admit that he didn't like the way she winced at that.

She remained silent so he continued.

"I want to get to know you. Come on out with me Caroline, give me a chance," his voice a deliberate seduction.

"Well I don't want to get to know you!" she snapped at him. Her eyes and tone dismissing him.

Before he could control himself he reached for her. Her instant rejection causing his anger to flare. His hand cupped her chin holding it firmly so she couldn't move or look away from him.

"That is too bad love, because you really don't have a choice," he slowly said to her, all signs of former tenderness and playfulness evaporating "Unless of course you are eager to spent time with my family and _especially_ with my mother," he said failing to mention that in reality he wasn't giving her a choice. She would come with him anyway.

When Anna told him that she rejected his offerings and that she wouldn't come down to him he felt disappointment and anger. He was trying to make her feel comfortable even if it was from a distance. Breakfast in bed would be a nice gesture he had thought even though he hated that they wouldn't be taking it together in bed. But he had to go slow with her. Her rejection stung, but right now it was proving to be a great thing. It was giving him the opportunity to get her out of the house. Something that he realized he really wanted. To spent time alone with her. Away from dangerous grounds and prying eyes. Just him and her. Alone.

It was obvious that while this idea excited him the same could not be said about Caroline.

He saw her grimacing and looking at him in anger. Somehow that excited him and made him want to get even closer to her. He bent his head and stopped barely a centimeter away from her mouth. He could feel her erratic now breath warming his skin.

Their gazes crushed into each other. His lips almost touched the side of her mouth following the line of her cheek as he lowered his head even more, taking in the enthralling scent that emanated from her hair.

His mouth now almost touched her ear so his whisper could be clearly heard.

" _Choose your poison sweetheart."_

* * *

**Love takes hostages, gives them pain.**   
**Gives someone the power to hurt you again and again.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -As always many thanks to my amazing beta Anastasia Dreams
> 
> -Songs used as inspiration for this chapter : Nino Rota - Waltz (From The Godfather Soundtrack) & Love is Hard by James Morrisson.


	5. Out of the blue and into the black

**You've been looking for someone you can trust**

**How do you love with a fate full of rust?**   
**How do you love in a house without feelings?**   
**How do you turn what the savage tame?**

* * *

.

.

.

Esther stood behind the window in the conservatory and watched the unfolding scene.

Interesting she thought. Klaus almost seemed protective over the Salvatore girl. She skeptically noticed the way her son was looking at Caroline. He seemed positively enchanted and that was not an easy achievement for a man like her son, especially considering the fact that Klaus had only met Caroline, a Salvatore nonetheless.

At first she worried mostly about the girl. Mikael had pretty much ordered her to make sure that Klaus would treat Caroline right. At least physically.

Still she refrained from talking to her son about anything concerning his bride. She knew that if she were to pressure him in any way he would just shut her off. Klaus was not Mikael's biological son, but he was raised by him and had inherited the same pride and egotism her husband had. Women that had to deal with hard men like that had to learn that the direct approach was not a suitable solution. She had learnt that lesson a long time ago when she had entered the Mikaelson family through her marriage with Mikael. She has younger than Caroline and she learned to adapt. This lifestyle was not meant for meek and weak characters. So she grew strong, she shielded her heart and learned to love Mikael in time as she also learned to stay in the shadows. She knew how to inflict pain and how to influence others without having to step in the vanguard.

Men to their guns and women to their schemes.

In this case, instead of forcing Klaus to treat Caroline right, she should instruct her in how to deal with Klaus accordingly in order to appease him. Her youth made her more easily manageable.

She wasn't worried about her son harming Caroline in the way Mikael feared. He was capable of many things, but physically harming a girl like Caroline was not one of them. He could harm her mentally and emotionally of that she had no doubt. Because she knew his character and his ability to destroy everything he touched. She didn't believe that he was ready for the responsibility of a long-term commitment like the one that came with marriage, but this alliance with the Salvatores was a rare opportunity that could not be overlooked or passed by.

In retrospect and after seeing the interactions between Klaus and Caroline maybe she had been wrong in her primary assumptions. Perhaps that girl could achieve what others in her place before her had failed. Dealing with Klaus had always been a deadly game and Caroline has found herself in deep obscure waters but maybe there was hope for her yet. She had noticed the way Klaus looked at Caroline last night and Anna told her that they didn't spend the night together. No one knew that little detail, but it was her place to know everything that happened under this roof. The attraction was there on his part so the reasons he left their chambers last night could not be his unwillingness to spend the night with his wife. Klaus was showing a side with Caroline she didn't know he possessed. If what she was thinking was right then her son, instead of claiming what belonged to him, had decided to give more time to the girl to get to know and want him. _Men and their male prides._

For now she was willing to bet that this marriage was unconsummated. A void marriage was not what had been arranged, though, and sooner or later her son would have to rectify this. Caroline was part of their family now; she had certain responsibilities and being her son's wife was her duty and privilege.

But Esther's real concerns laid elsewhere.

She knew that war was coming and she couldn't contain her son's wrath anymore. Not that she was ever that successful in that department anyway. Klaus had been gaining more and more power after Elijah's demise and he was on the verge of becoming unstoppable.

But, maybe this girl would be the solution. Aside from her inheritance, Caroline could prove to be an excellent asset in the days to come. She could positively influence her son. Maybe even reaching his heart. His infatuation for the girl might prove to be quite useful.

She moved away from the window with a grave expression.

Maybe Caroline was the answer she was searching for all this time.

For every man needed a weakness and Klaus right now, aside from Kol and Rebekah had none and that was making him impossible to handle. She had to find a way to maintain the balance and with Klaus gaining more control and power that was becoming an impossibility.

Her thoughts came to a halt when Mikael entered the room. He looked angry and tired, but most importantly defeated.

His next words along with his grave expression confirmed her suspicions.

" _We need to talk."_

* * *

The sun was casting its light over the waves. The slight breeze was filling the air outside as the sunglasses were hiding her eyes.

He had taken her to a coastal café restaurant she had never been before and they were now sitting at a relatively secluded table.

She had barely seen this part of the city before. It was a territory rule. These parts belonged to the Mikaelsons. Unspoken boundaries. For most people these kind of notions would sound stupid, sometimes it seemed that way to her too, but in reality having these boundaries meant that there would be distance and a form of peace between the families. Many times in the past Damon would pass the forbidden borders and would try to start a fight and Stefan would always follow in order to save and prevent their hotheaded brother from doing something stupid. Not her though. She was never allowed to even think of coming to places that wouldn't be safe. Not that she hadn't tried, but she would always fail since she had people following her every step. In the past there was a time that she would provoke the people that followed her and sometimes she would even trick them and she would escape them for a few hours. Those hours had made her feel happy and free at least until her brothers came and dragged her back.

It didn't matter anymore. Now that she was married to Klaus theoretically she could go anywhere she wanted, but she seriously doubted that this was true. She was still guarded and she was certain that now it would be worse than before.

She kept looking outside the window realizing that ever since she had woken up in this dreaded reality all her thoughts have been negative and that this new depressed person wasn't her, but she couldn't stop herself. She supposed that she needed to learn how to adjust.

She took a deep breath and looked at the ocean.

Even she had to admit that the view was spectacular, but the company was definitely not allowing her to enjoy the sight. Now that some time has passed she had regained common sense and raised her walls again. She couldn't, _she wouldn't_ , allow to herself to fall under the spell of Klaus Mikaelson. She had to admit that while he was an attractive man –and maybe she did feel some sort of unexplained attraction towards him– it wasn't enough. What she really felt for him and for this whole mess she had found herself in was destructive. She hated him. Him and both of their families.

After their moment in the gardens his eyes were constantly trained on her and she was feeling uncomfortable. It was like being under a microscope.

While he was driving them here she had her head turned towards her window. He was driving fast and everything seemed to move in a blur, but the silence was welcome. Even though from times to times she could feel his piercing gaze under his shades and she would shift in her sit.

She felt uncomfortable in his presence. All she could think after the way they had gotten closer at the gardens was how he had touched her last night and declared that she belonged to him before leaving her alone. A part of her was grateful because she knew that the outcome could have been completely different. Another place, another woman maybe and the night wouldn't have turned out the way it did. She could still feel him smelling her hair and after that strange moment she had lost all thought.

In the days before the wedding she had imagined how that moment would be between them and all she could think was that in the end she would end up as a helpless rape victim with no chances of getting out of that situation for the rest of her life.

But he hadn't hurt her. She still detested the fact that she was married to him and she believed now more than ever that he was more dangerous than she had originally thought. He was buying his time and lulling her into a false sense of security and even though she knew better she couldn't help but feel relieved.

She was grateful that he had intervened before his mother and his sister tried to make her feel worse and even though she wouldn't tell him this she was thankful that he had taken her out and away from that house and his family even if the price was that she had to spend more time with him. It kind of scared her that now she had to learn how to spend time with him, but she had no other options.

At least in a very weird way he had protected her. She wasn't deluding herself, though. She couldn't essentially rely on him for her protection.

He had told her to choose her poison and he was right. That was what he was. Poison. Lethal and fatal. No matter what her choice was in the end she would have to deal with the serpent's venom. And she was afraid that it would leave her completely paralyzed and completely at his mercy _._ And it was common knowledge that Klaus had no mercy.

During the drive she knew that there were at least two more cars following them. Part of his security detail. But in the confined space of his Maserati she was left alone with just him. She could see his reflection in her window glass. His stubble and the black shades that covered his eyes. His leather jacket that stretched over his arms with his every movement. And all she could think was that if someone were to tell her only some days before that Klaus Mikaelson would be her lawful husband and she would be in his car driving away to have…breakfast with him she would have laughed because it would be one of the worst most tasteless joke she could imagine and now here she was.

Now that they were sitting opposite to each other at their table all she was trying to do was stay calm and collected as she watched some ships were rocking in the seawater. The smell of her coffee in front of her was soothing and she was trying to concentrate on that. This was definitely one messed up situation and she had to deal with it the best way possible. Which meant that she had to learn how to deal with Klaus Mikaelson. She would be damned if she were to let him and his stupid gazes intimidate and seduce her so easily.

"What is on your mind, sweetheart?" he asked conversationally.

His voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked at him for a moment before she looked at the view of the sea that was expanding outside the crystal glass of the large window walls.

"That this is a nice view," she told him with no emotion in her voice.

He smiled amused and his smile turned into a smirk. The girl he had met in the gardens with his sister had now completely vanished. She had armored herself against him completely.

"I agree it is," he said as his eyes roved over her form taking in every last detail with appreciation.

"Yeah," she agreed absentmindedly without looking at him.

"And now that we have this settled how about you tell me what is really on your mind Caroline?" he asked, his voice sounding amused.

She straightened her back and pressed her lips together. Having a chitchat with him was really going to mess with her nerves even more and she was already on edge.

He sighed and took a sip from his coffee. He had to approach her. He had to win her over. She was his wife and he understood by her disposition that she was not an easy person. He wanted to laugh at the idea that only days before he had thought that he would be married to a sweet, easy going, weak person. She most certainly was not that easy going and most definitely not weak.

He could try charming her, but something kept telling him that this was not the right way to go things with her. Not that he wouldn't try that too, but she seemed to detest him with all her being. Her body language indicated this. While he might be able to assert influence over her and she did seem attracted to him it was not enough. Truth was that he was not used to being in the presence of women that looked like they wanted to be anywhere else than near him.

Then again last night as he was opening the back of her wedding dress he had also sensed that a part of her desired him as much as he wanted her. For a few moments her inhibitions were gone. And he couldn't shake that moment from his memory; the way she had shivered in his hands. It was at that moment that he realized that he didn't want her to just pretend to like him just when others were around. He wanted more.

She seemed to be an enchanting mix of fire and ice and he couldn't wait to expose the searing flame under the cold exterior.

Caroline was definitely a challenge. A very… _very_ beautiful challenge.

He had to go slow with her. He had to remind himself that she was dragged into this marriage and she was still so very young. And for some unexplained reason he didn't want to intimidate her into this.

He would have to play nice. He had time on his side for now. All he had to do was keep her on his side. Cut her ties with the Salvatores, not even mentioning them to her, slowly approach her while secluding her from those that she could rely on. His family was not at her side and he could use that to his advantage. She would come to appreciate the fact that the only contact in her life and in the family that could provide her with some sort of repose and security was him and only him. He had to be patient, one step at the time and dedicate time to her. Usually, a plan like that would be a dreadful chore for him, but for her he could certainly do that, even enjoy it.

"Ok love, I understand that we might have started on the wrong foot here, but we could at least try to start talking to each other, I don't know…getting to know each other better?" he said with his most sincere tone.

A tone that he had practiced and perfected through the years. Looking sincere was part of the game most of the time even when his sinister nature was crawling behind the nice mask.

He failed to mention that he wanted for them to look friendly in front of all others too. He didn't want to force her to act like that, but as long as she kept herself in check they would be okay. She would give in to him eventually. All women did.

She took her sunglasses off and her eyes locked with his. The emerald swirl of defiance that he saw there enticed him even more.

"What more is there to know?" she asked coldly.

"We are married love, surely you and I can find some common ground don't you think?" he gently proposed.

"We already have a common ground," she said and gritted her teeth. She was trying to sound detached, but anger was flashing through her.

"Do we now?" he asked raising his eyebrow, "please do tell," he challenged her.

She stared at him for a moment in a way he couldn't read. His eyes slipped to her lips before he looked at her eyes again.

She looked at him serious and he was mesmerized at the sight.

The sun from the glass window was reflecting off her hair that now looked like a burning halo around her beautiful features and the aquamarine glow in her eyes seemed to compete with that shine.

But it was her voice that was contradicting the image. Strong, unwavering, cold. And for the first time he felt that he was sitting not against Caroline, but against a _Salvatore_.

"Well the way I see it this marriage is a business arrangement and each part gains something that it wants," she said and looked at him frowning slightly for a moment before continuing, "in this case my brothers and you are gaining an alliance, protection and you get to expand your interests and all that without shedding a drop of blood or losing profit, very much a win win situation, if you ask me," she said ironically as she drank some of her coffee.

He leaned into his chair and his eyes locked with her fiery gaze. He came to the realization that his first assessments of her were indeed completely wrong. She definitely was not the weak superficial little girl he originally believed her to be. He was impressed and that didn't happen often. She had a pride that could compete his own. _Stubborn little thing._

Last night she impressed him with her strong attitude and her pride and right now she was impressing him even more. She despised him and she was right to feel like that. She was forced into this marriage against her will. But she was also very smart and she had an edge that intrigued him. Obviously she was raised in a family that obeyed the same rules his own had. She was neither naïve nor stupid; he could give her that.

"Very well then. And since we covered what it is that I am gaining, what about you?" he asked her.

She looked at him like she didn't understand his question, but he could tell that she was just buying her time for she knew that he was going to ask something she wasn't going to like.

He indulged her.

"You said that _**we**_ have common ground, so what is it that _ **you**_ are gaining from our little arrangement?" His voice sounded amused, but it had a cold sadistic edge to it.

She looked at him straight in the eye and he caught his breath. There was murder in her eyes.

He smirked. Now that was very interesting! Last night he could see light shining through her, today he could also see an alluring darkness. Interesting contradiction.

"My family is very important to me, their gain is mine too," she said, her tone not wavering.

"Is that it or you are just collateral damage?" he asked her softly.

"And if I am what do you care?" she asked him with a steely tone.

"I care, love, because now your family is _me_ ," he said as a matter of fact.

She laughed at that and he couldn't help but feel mesmerized by that lyrical sound that filled his ears and awakened a new desire in him.

"Make no mistake, Klaus, you and I might be married, but family we will never be. It was not part of the arrangement. You bought a bride with the right last name and nothing more," she said venomously.

"Sweetheart… make no mistake," he copied her tone, "the moment you walked to that altar you gave yourself to me and to my family. You belong to us now," he said ominously and his eyes sparked as he saw her façade crumble for a moment.

He could tell that she was trying to act collected around him, but he marveled at how her eyes momentarily brightened with a look of undiluted fear.

She was an in impossible situation. He knew his reputation and even more when it came to the Salvatores so when he saw her bracing herself against him again he couldn't help but admire her.

If she weren't his wife he would be tempted to teach her, to train her, to mold her into something else. Her innocence could be shaped into a deadly weapon. She could be transformed into a ruthless player. But, alas, he had other plans for her. Plans that he would most certainly enjoy.

Her voice was steady when she answered.

"Maybe so. But family is more than just a name. You and I both know that family is above all, it has ties, it means loyalty and mine is not swayed by arrangements and forced rules."

He smirked at that. A dangerous glint into his eyes.

"And what would a man have to do in order to gain your…loyalty and your trust Caroline?" his voice was soft as silk.

She raised her eyes so she could look directly into his. It was a curiously intimate moment of truth between them.

" _Simple, he would have to be everything you are not…"_

Everything stood still between them. Not even a hint of movement.

For a reason he couldn't explain her honesty pained him. He didn't know her. They literally were two strangers that happened to be married. His interests were fulfilled and she was a beautiful woman that he should just want to his bed and nothing more. He knew that she was right, loyalty, trust and them becoming something more was never part of the deal nor was something that he thought he would ever want. And yet her words caused an ache in his heart he couldn't understand.

For some reason he realized that he wanted her loyalty and her devotion even if he knew that he would never reciprocate them. That never stopped him before and it wouldn't now. He always took what he wanted without giving anything back. This was who he was and Caroline would have to come to terms with that and surrender herself and her idealistic sense of loyalty to him even if he would have to force her to do so.

He bent over the table and took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. She tried to pull it away, but he didn't let her. He squeezed it firmly as a warning and his thumb caressed the soft skin of her wrist warming it and sending bolts of electricity through both of them.

" _We shall see sweetheart, we shall see…"_

* * *

He was looking at the sun setting while he was slowly drinking his tea on his balcony. The view of the ocean was spectacular, especially now. Unfortunately, though beautiful sunsets and panoramic views were not enough to make him forget.

He checked his clock. Right now it should be morning in Chicago he thought.

At the table next to him was the yesterday's edition of the Chicago Tribune.

His eyes fixed on to the black and white photos. The one was the picture of the now eldest son of the Mikaelson family and the other was of the beautiful Salvatore girl.

He remembered her actually. He had seen her next to Stefan at an event. She was much younger back then. She was just a child. She was still young, but now she was also a grown up woman. A married woman.

He sighed.

Niklaus was married. His wedding with Caroline Salvatore was on the front page.

A Mikaelson son married with one of the heirs of the Salvatore mafia family.

He breathed deeply. He really hoped Niklaus knew what he was doing. For his sake he hoped he did. If not this would end up badly. Not just for him, but also for the girl. It was common knowledge after all that the last marriage in the Mikaelson family had ended in blood. The brides in the Mikaelson family tended to leave their caged walls only in caskets.

He just hoped that history wouldn't repeat itself.

* * *

He was taking her back to the mansion and she felt uneasy. It felt like he was taking her back to her cell, but there was nothing she could do.

Their little getaway was enlightening.

She came to understand that Klaus was more dangerous than he looked. He was patient with her and that worried her more. He seemed to be ready to crush her defenses at any given moment and it seemed that he was going to enjoy doing that.

" _We shall see sweetheart, we shall see…"_

His words formed a promise and she came to realize that she had acted stupidly around him. It was obvious that Klaus was one of those men that liked a challenge and she had just offered one to him.

She didn't want to provoke him more and she wished that she could restrain herself more in his presence, but she also didn't know if she could do that. She didn't know why but when she was around him all she wanted was to show him no weakness. All she felt was anger and a fire that was consuming her whole. She wanted to react and make sure that his fake consideration for her well being wasn't going to trap her into his web even more than she already was. For she was certain that having any kind of intimate meaningful relationship with Klaus Mikaelson would be her own undoing.

She knew that she was his wife and sooner or later he would take her body, but that was all she was going to give. Her mind, her thoughts and her heart were going to stay locked away. She was so afraid that she was going to lose her soul, but there was no way out and since she was trapped in this forced married she was going to make sure that she wasn't going to make his life that easy either. She just had to learn how to keep him at a relative distance.

She looked at him momentarily as he was driving his car with confidence and then she looked outside her window again biting her lip ignoring the fact that he was also casting gazes at her. Vivid colors swept across the sky and she felt like she was going to break into a thousand pieces. After their little honest time in the café his penetrating gaze was always on her, taking in every detail.

Somehow her answers seemed to intrigue him and not anger him and that scared her even more.

After that he had tried talking to her about general subjects. He told her that later today he was going to give her a tour around the house and that she shouldn't be afraid to ask anything of him. He turned gentle and kind.

It was obvious that he wanted her to trust him, but the stark possessiveness that clouded his gaze when he looked at her was making her skin turn ice-cold and hot in the same moment. It was like his eyes were marking her as his even more than the golden band on her finger. And for a reason she couldn't understand there were moments that she couldn't look away from his dark eyes.

She soon came to understand that Klaus could turn his reactions into weapons. He could be charming and entice her into conversations and make her forget herself for some moments. She found herself even smiling against her will. He could be seductive and tempting. And he could target those weapons of his against her and make her feel powerless.

It was at that moment that she realized that Klaus was everything that Matt wasn't and that was almost her breaking point.

After that at every passing moment her heart was getting fuller with a bitterness she didn't know she could feel. And an eerie emptiness was surrounding her mind and making her numb. Klaus had asked her what it was that she was gaining from their arrangement.

She had lied, but it was simple really. She had made sure that the man she truly loved would stay safe away from all this mess. That was the price she had to pay. She wasn't one of those girls that liked to sacrifice themselves and she hated being the damsel in distress, but this was real. Damon wouldn't hesitate. He would kill Matt in the blink of an eye and then what would she do? She couldn't stand the idea of being responsible for his death. She should have known better. She should have never let Matt get close to her in the first place. She knew who her family was, but she had foolishly believed that she could make a new start with him away from this world. And now being married to Klaus was a death sentence for her, but at least Matt had avoided the one that Damon was ready to deal out on him.

Klaus should never learn anything about Matt. He should never know that Matt even exists. She didn't know what he would do and she didn't want to find out either. She would never mention Matt to him. Now that she had complied Damon had no reason to hurt him and she was grateful for that at least. But her relationship with Matt had to remain a secret.

She felt her eyes burning. She had to come to terms that there was no relationship with Matt and her anymore. She wasn't going to see him again. She wasn't going to be with him ever again. Would he hate her for leaving him like that?

And she also realized that from the moment she married Klaus she hadn't thought about Matt that much. She had thought of him as an idea of a future she would never have, but she hadn't thought about him as a real person that was out there still waiting for her to return to him. It was like only in few hours they were erasing not only his existence, but also his memory and his importance from her.

She felt like she couldn't breathe and she hadn't realized that the car had stopped moving and that they were back at Klaus's house. _At her house._

_At her house…this was her house now. She had to live here from now and on. Forever._

_Forever._

It all became too much. The haze she was floating in the last days and especially the last hours began rapidly dismantling. In 24 hours her life had changed, she was living with the Mikaelsons, she was married to one of them. The worse of them. There was no way out. She couldn't return to her college. She couldn't even go back to her home. She was never going to see Matt again. She was never going to be loved or feel safe again. She couldn't even see Bonnie. Kol and Rebekah hated her. Her father was dead. Stefan and Damon sold her out. Mikael wanted her to be his son's broodmare. She had no one to protect her. And Klaus was her world. He would be her only constant. She would have to be with him, to be at his side. She was his wife.

God…she was _**his**_ wife! The stark reality finally started to settle in for good and she panicked.

She started trembling and a moan escaped her lips.

She jolted as she felt Klaus's hand gently touching hers.

"Are you alright, love?" he asked her while his eyes searched hers.

His voice seemed full of concern and she jerked her hand away from his as if he had burned her.

His eyes flashed with anger for a moment, but as he saw her teary eyes he sighed. Her face was white as a sheet and she was trembling.

It was the first time that he had seen such raw pain in her eyes and he realized that he didn't like it. _Not at all._

As he tried reaching for her again she moved abruptly away from him like he was her worse enemy which in her mind he most probably was.

"I am fine!" she spat and got out of the car before he could stop her. She slammed her door behind her causing the men from the security, including one of Mikael's confidents, to look directly at them and then she started hurriedly walking angrily away from the car.

He cursed and went out of the car and threw his keys at one of the guards. He could take care of his car because he needed to take care of his little wife.

Especially since he knew that everything in this house was monitored and the last thing he wanted was Caroline to make him look weak to his employees and more importantly to his family. _To Mikael._ _Even more so today._

If she were going to have such outbursts without provocation it would be only a matter of time before she wouldn't restrain herself in front of others too. And in this situation that they had found themselves in everything was about the picture. Everything was about control and he was not going to relinquish it. Especially not to a stubborn college girl with fiery eyes and such defiant behavior. They had been walking on eggshells all morning going back and forth between unfamiliar formalities and suppressed sentiments both of attraction and aversion, but obviously his civility wasn't so well received from the princess.

_So be it then._

_._

_._

_._

Before she could reach the main entrance he reached over her and grabbed her by her upper arm and dragged her along at the opposite direction from where she was headed.

His grip was unbreakable, but that didn't stop Caroline from trying to escape from his hold.

"What are you doing?" she yelled at him, but he didn't let go of her arm as he gave her a stern look.

"I was trying to go easy on you, but it is obvious that it is time to make some things clear, sweetheart," he said and even he couldn't understand the anger he was suddenly feeling. All he knew was that her pain shouldn't be affecting him so. And yet it did and that made him feel like he wanted to destroy everything around him, everything except her. And that infuriated him even more.

But the problem was that Caroline wasn't just his wife anymore. She was also part of his family and he couldn't tolerate her obstinacy in this house. Not around his family.

The reason he took her outside today was to make sure that they could learn to be civil to each other. To make her trust him somewhat and for her to be able to feel more comfortable in his presence. He didn't want to simply lock her in or order her to obey him and he had tried to refrain from going down that path, but she had to learn her place. Better now that they were at the beginning of their relationship.

But at each step he was taking he was getting angrier.

Damn him and his sudden morality that suddenly stemmed out of nowhere! He had treated her like a gentleman, he had even let her slip out of his hands the night before and she dared defy him like this?

If his gentle side was not going to do the trick then maybe he would have to get the message through to her. She was too headstrong for her own good anyway.

He kept tugging her forward, ignoring her protests and no matter how much she resisted he wasn't letting her go.

Her strength was not equal to his and he felt like he was carrying a beautiful doll in his hands. He was trying not to hurt her –and that increased his anger– but his hold was unwavering.

He kept striding until they were headed towards the gardens and when she finally stopped resisting his hold became gentler -although still unyielding- until they reached the maze behind the trees where he abruptly pushed her into the leafy wall.

Her golden locks fell around her face as her eyes burned with anger and a hint of fear.

He had to admit that she was a vision and that her anger was making her look more desirable. Her fiery side and the fear and loathing that her eyes signaled were turning him on.

He didn't exactly like the fear he saw in those beautiful eyes of hers but it was necessary and he could use it to his advantage.

She tried to move away, but he held her in place by her upper arms.

She struggled against him for a moment before her eyes narrowed and she huffed indignantly.

"Why did you bring me here?"

He smirked at how she was trying to make her voice sound confident and yet failing.

"I think that you have formed the wrong impression of me, love." he said quietly. His soft tone a warning.

"I seriously couldn't care less for what you think!" she said, but she unwillingly settled further into the wall of the maze. The leafy blades poking at her body.

And then she got mad at the fact that his intimidation tactics seemed to be working on her. She wasn't going to stand there and allow him to treat her like this.

She tried to move past him again, but he placed a firm hand on her shoulder and pushed her back forcibly. He wasn't hurting her and yet she realized that he wasn't going to let her go. He was standing over her, his cobalt colored eyes fixed on hers. For a moment the intensity of his gaze cut off her breathing. How he was doing this to her was beyond her comprehension.

She took a deep breath and willed herself to stand still. The flames in his eyes turned her cold. She didn't like what was reflected there. Something dark, hot, dangerous.

"That is a big mistake on your part Caroline and quite foolish for a smart woman of your caliber," he said and even though part of his words complimented her she couldn't help but shiver as she took in his fathomless expression.

His hand left her shoulder and touched the green soft wall next to her head. He came closer. So close that she could feel his breath caressing her features.

His other hand travelled slowly from her waist up until he caught her chin in firm fingers. A strange sensation filled her as color crept into her cheeks. She felt a warmth that made her feel like she was falling into a void filled with searing heat.

For a moment they stared at each other. It seemed timeless. A feeling so real that she felt like she was drowning more than before.

His thumb brushed against her cheek and she shuddered as it slowly moved closer to the edge of her lips.

He seemed mesmerized for a moment and even though she knew that she was trapped, helpless against him for some reason this sinister moment reflected a sense of seduction and not of abuse. It confused her. It hypnotized her and made her realize that even though she could be trapped like this for some reason her heart kept beating faster and faster.

" _What more do you want?"_ she asked losing her resistance. Her voice barely a whisper. The accusation in her voice evident. He had taken her vows on the altar. He had branded her with his wedding ring. He had taken her freedom away and now he was stealing her last defenses. She was growing weaker.

His eyes traveled her length slowly and his boldness caused butterflies to flutter inside her stomach. He let go of her face and his gaze turned thoughtful.

He leaned forward and his hand wrapped around some stray, golden locks pushing them behind her neck as his head dived closer to her ear. She pressed her lips together as he invaded her senses. She couldn't escape him now. And this unknown danger that was challenging her mind and heart was threatening to swallow her whole.

" _I want everything you have to give, all of you,"_ his silken voice felt like a shroud of smoke. It was trapping her into a web of desire. Worse was the fear she felt of what his promise meant.

"Until there is nothing left," she said with despair and her eyes burned with unshed tears as she clung at him for support.

His strong hands held her and brought her even closer than before.

"Until you desire nothing else," he vowed and she felt fear creeping into her heart. He would change her. He would mold her into something else that he could control. She would lose her mind, her thoughts. Her heart. She wouldn't be herself anymore. She would be his.

She inhaled deeply as his forehead touched hers and his eyes bored into the green color of hers. She could only hope that her thoughts and her confusion were not transparent to him.

She steeled herself with a strength she didn't know she possessed and even though her body seemed to be out of her control she managed to put her hands on his sternum and to push him away. She was surprised at the fact that she had to use all her will power in order to do something that she should have been able to do easily and with no thought.

He allowed her to push him away and for just a split second she thought she saw him struggling to find his breath too.

"This will never happen," she declared to him and pressed her lips together. She had to snap out of this. Whatever this was. She was succumbing to a seduction that would destroy her. She couldn't allow it.

Then the atmosphere changed. His whole posture changed. Everything around her turned cold.

Now he was smiling at her. The only thing was that now she was staring at the man she had heard him to be. At the man that was more of a predator than a man. She tried to push her fear away, but she couldn't stop the shivers that went down her spine like ice cubes. She was feeling extremely uncomfortable knowing that he could detect her fear and that it probably excited him more.

He moved closer to her. One step away. Enough to cause electricity to sparkle again between them.

"I am a patient man, sweetheart, and I always take what I want, never forget that."

His voice was a weapon and she could not understand how he could turn a warning, that seemed more of a threat to her, into something so sinister and yet at the same moment into something tempting. An invitation into something that was beyond her comprehension.

"Not with me Klaus," she sternly told him. She had to get her fighting mood back now!

But then he suddenly reached for her, ensnaring her into a firm grip and brought her closer. She had to put her hands on his chest if she didn't want her body to collide with his. Her eyes grew big as he lowered his face and his lips descended really close to hers. He held her more possessively.

"I will have you Caroline," he whispered. His mouth just a centimeter away from her own. Fever. This is what she was feeling. His words terrified her.

She refused to believe this even though she knew that she was trapped. She turned her head to the side refusing to look at him.

He then released her and she wanted to scream with frustration. Why was her body betraying her so?

"In the mean time I need you to realize that I already own you and you should learn to act accordingly." His tone was cold, but she stubbornly shook her head.

"Remember that my leniency has its limitations," he said clearly exasperated with her defiance.

She looked at him and for a moment they just stared at each other. A battle of wills. His eyes were almost hypnotic and she felt a strange sensation. She wanted to agree with him. It was almost like she was giving in and the feeling was so real that it shook her to her core.

She then rolled her eyes. More for herself than him. Everything was happening too fast. She was confused, but one thing had become clear to her. Klaus and his threats and seduction meant nothing to her. Nothing! She was not going to lose her resistance just because he commanded her to do so.

She locked her gaze with his. This time she had to stop herself from lashing out. He was playing with her and she was allowing him to do it. She was still a Salvatore for God's sake. Not a lost little girl he could intimidate into behaving.

She saw that he immediately recognized the change in her attitude and she saw his azure eyes blazing. His anger flaring like a hot current.

She saw his features contorting into something even more menacing. She had a Mikaelson standing against her now. A vindictive enemy that wouldn't hesitate to hurt her if he thought necessary.

So be it. She didn't owe him anything. She wasn't going to bow down to him.

"I have been gentle with you so far, but I have already warned you that you should tread carefully." His tone was intimidating.

She crossed her hands over her chest in a hostile manner.

"Which means what exactly?" she challenged him not caring for the consequences. If he wanted a war then he would have one.

"It means that when we are in public or anywhere near a third person, no matter what, you will behave yourself. I don't care what you feel or what you think, but you will treat me with respect." He commanded her.

She gritted her teeth and looked at him with contempt.

"Respect is not something you can force," she said feeling her own anger rising.

"You will obey me on this Caroline because I will not tolerate any more outbursts like the one you had before," he told her in a calm voice. The threat was clear, though.

She huffed in anger.

"Which means that you want me to act like your obedient little puppet. Is that it?" she said staring at him with absolute distaste.

He then got closer to her again and caught one of her stray locks in his hands.

"Why not love, you might even enjoy the way I will pull your strings," he said as he played with her hair.

She swatted his hand away.

"You are despicable," she spat at him and he grabbed her by her upper arms and yanked her close to him again.

"I am your husband and you will do as I say if you don't wish to suffer the consequences, and trust me you don't, I am making myself clear?" Klaus snarled as she struggled against his hold.

She pushed him away with all her strength and she almost lost her balance when he abruptly let her go.

"Crystal!" she said with a fierce look on her face, "Now let me make myself clear to you. You can do whatever you wish, but I am not afraid of you," she provoked him.

For a moment he stared at her amazed. The bitterness in her voice and the tangled emotions he saw into her eyes made his anger dissipate.

She was more beautiful than ever. The flaming color on her cheeks and the way her eyes sparkled made him lose his rage immediately. She looked so young and ethereal. Her skin was so soft and tempting and he couldn't understand how in less than a day she had managed to get under his skin. Her defiance enraged and challenged him.

Her independence attracted him. She said that she wasn't afraid and yet he could tell that part of her was. Afraid of him and of her own reactions. There was an attraction between them. One he knew she would try to deny no matter what.

"You should be afraid, Caroline," he told her. His tone concealing the double meaning of his words. He had to make sure she would learn to obey him. At least in public. But he also couldn't deny that he enjoyed the way she was fighting him. It was quite refreshing.

He saw the way her shoulders tensed and her resolute gaze.

"I don't and do you know why?" she challenged him in a way that almost made his eyes sparkle with laughter. She was really cute.

"Do tell sweetheart," he prompted her. Dark mirth in his voice.

"Because as you said I am your wife and as such _**you**_ will treat me with respect because make no mistake when I say that I am neither weak or stupid; you married me and you depend on me for this little alliance of yours to work. You need to stay on the good side of my brothers don't you Klaus?" she said as determination shone in her eyes.

He felt wonder about the woman standing in front of him now. She was not backing down. She was more of a challenge. She was placed into an impossible situation and she was not surrendering. If anything she was ready to fight until the end. He hadn't met anyone like her before.

She had impressed him so far. Now she was also gaining his respect.

He took a step towards her and admired her for not backing away.

"Do you really believe that they can help you Caroline?" he asked her with a gentle tone.

Her gaze filled with something akin to pain. She averted her eyes and then she was the one to step closer to him.

She locked her gaze with his.

"I don't need them too. But if this is how this marriage is going to be then so be it. You want a submissive wife to follow your commands in public? Fine, but you will have nothing more from me, not ever!" she said as her tone was painted with disappointment and distaste.

It made him feel uncertain for the first time in a long time. He didn't know why he didn't like the way she was looking at him right now, but he didn't. She was agreeing to do what he asked from her and yet he didn't feel like he had won. Instead he felt like he had lost something and he didn't know what it was.

"I thought you were not willing to give me anything more sweetheart, not of your own volition anyway," he said and tried to concentrate. He couldn't allow her to make him weak.

"Yes, and now I know how right I was!" she accused him.

He took a deep breath and stepped away from her. He had to gain his control back.

"We shall see, love, for now, though, since we have come into an agreement I have to point out something else too," he said, his voice steady.

She huffed and he felt the muscles in his jaw clenching. This woman could be so infuriating.

He pointed with his hand to the house that was meters away from the gardens they were in.

"This whole place is monitored. Security and surveillance cameras. I am sure that you are accustomed with such security measures from your own house?" he inquired.

"Your point?" she tiredly asked him.

"My point is that we are always going to be watched. So no matter what, when you are not in _**our**_ room you will have to act like the willing and doted wife I know you can be." He smugly said to her and she cringed.

He went closer and placed his hands on her slender waist. As he had thought she immediately tried to push his hands away and he saw her flinch when his fingers dug into her flesh.

"And most importantly act like a newlywed. You know, sweet, caring, loving… _not swaying away from my touch_ " he said and was unable to stop his hand from sliding over her body and eventually framing her delicate cheek.

He felt her body stilling under his touch. The fear and innocence in her eyes made his blood run wild inside his veins. The moment passed and she pushed his hands away from her body. Her look showing him that his touch was offensive.

"Why should I do that here? Everyone knows the truth! Why do you care?" she snapped at him.

He sighed.

"Believe it or not this is for your own good," he finally said to her honestly.

"Yeah, right," she exclaimed.

He looked at her intently.

"Sweetheart, you may not realize it right now, but you will need my protection. Your life depends on it. Soon you will see that I am the _ **only one**_ you can rely on if you want to survive this," he warned her.

Soon she would have to come to terms with it. He was the only one she had anymore. Not Mikael, not her brothers not anyone else. She was his and he would take care of her. But she had to understand that he was the only one she could count on.

He tried to ignore the fact that he craved for her loyalty above all. It was an unsettling feeling. He had to ignore it. She was just a woman after all. One that belonged to him.

His eyes travelled over her body taking in every sensual detail.

"Besides pretending to be attracted to me shouldn't be that hard, after all moments before you were not that disagreeable," he said smugly as he remembered the way she had trembled when he had corned her on the wall of the maze.

She looked at him with distain like she was about to attack him at any moment.

"Go to hell, Klaus." She yelled at him and tried to move past him.

He forcefully stepped in front of her blocking her way.

"Your running days are over Caroline!" he hissed at her as his hand wrapped around her wrist.

"Let me go!" she shouted at him as she struggled to get her hand away from him.

"You will do as I say!" he yelled "This is how it works, love, where I go you follow not the other way around," he emphasized and enjoyed the way she gasped. Her breathing was erratic as she still tried to get out of his unrelenting grip.

And yet the only thing he could think of was to make sure that his hold wouldn't be painful on her.

"There is no one around right now so let me go!" she cried out.

"I have already told you that this whole place is watched, have I not?" he asked her as he enjoyed their close proximity and the way her scent was circling him. He wanted to keep her near him like this longer.

"And I already have told you that I am not stupid," she seethed "If you brought me here to pass out your commands it is because this must be one of the few places here that is not monitored. So get your hands of me. Now!" she ordered him.

He smirked. She was definitely more than just a pretty face.

Klaus raised his eyebrow in amusement and let her go. He held his hands up in a mocking surrender and enjoyed the way she looked at him with anger.

He laughed at the way she all but screamed in rage.

"I think you need to get some rest, sweetheart. You seem quite spent," he teased her satisfied. The innuendo in his tone making her blush even more and this time not just from anger.

He extended his hand for her to take in order to take her back to the mansion. It was the gentleman's way after all was it not?

She indignantly ignored it and angrily walked past him. She didn't even spare him another glance.

He smiled at that knowing that no one could see him. The first genuine real smile he had in a very long time.

He then followed her and in the back of his mind he realized that he was already breaking his rules. She should be following him, but somehow he didn't care. Just this once he was feeling content and satisfied. Caroline was an interesting woman. A spitfire. And the more time he spent with her the more intrigued he was becoming. So he followed close, enjoying the sexy view her body was offering as she angrily strode towards his house. Where she now belonged.

* * *

It was strange, but as she entered the house again, this time with Klaus next to her, she was feeling more uncertain than she had the night before. She still couldn't shake away all the feelings she felt running through her in the gardens. Everything that had happened had left her a mess. She couldn't control her emotions anymore. This was her own hell. She wasn't prepared to live like this and she didn't want to have to deal with Klaus anymore. The man was insufferable, unbearable, irritating, and outrageous. He was impossible. She couldn't stand him!

And his house was even worse! She didn't want to live here.

Now that it was day everything seemed even more threatening to her. She didn't dare spare Klaus even a glance. His form was at her side, looming over her and she just wanted to run away. No matter what she felt she wasn't going to allow to herself to show any signs of weakness. Enough was enough. Or at least this is what she kept saying to herself. She did know for certain that she wanted to get back at him for all his games and the way he treated her.

He wanted a docile puppet by his side. Yeah right!

She didn't know if she could give him that. What she did know was that now that she was in the spider trap she had to find a way to survive. To survive him and his whole family.

She took a closer look at the entrance of the mansion and like last night she was really surprised to see that the house seemed bigger on the inside than the outside. She snickered internally. What a fine environment for someone to grow up in! This house reflected its owners in a way. Cold and emotionless. If houses had souls this one would definitely have many dark secrets and a black heart to reveal.

Klaus intertwined his hand with hers and she almost jumped. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see an old man approaching them. She remembered him from last night. He was their butler. Seriously though! Who had a butler these days? She scoffed and tried to draw her hand back, but Klaus didn't allow it. He gently squeezed her hand as he discretely warned her with his gaze.

After all he has already ordered her to…behave. If she had to be honest even though she would rather hit him on the head with a heavy object than "behave" she was also very tired. Too tired to keep doing this. She sighed knowing that this was only day one and she tried to relax.

"Mr. Mikaelson, Mrs. Mikaelson," the butler said and slightly bowed in respect.

That caused Caroline to roll her eyes and Klaus to smirk at her reaction.

"Yes, George," Klaus said, mirth in his voice.

"First of all congratulations for your wedding," the man said.

Caroline couldn't stop the sound of ironic laughter that left her throat and winced as Klaus's hand tightened around her own. She forced herself to smile at the man in front of them even as at the same time she wanted to scream as she saw Klaus mocking gaze.

"Why thank you, George, will that be all?" Klaus asked.

"Upon your arrival your mother wanted me to inform you that the family is waiting for you and Mrs. Mikaelson in the living room in the west wing, they are expecting you," he said in a very formal way.

Klaus nodded and as he was about to take her and go meet his family she pulled her hand and turned to face the butler. If she was guessing correctly he was around his mid sixties. His hair was grey and he was quite thin. He also had a British accent like all the Mikaelsons did and he wore a very old fashioned uniform. He looked like he had jumped out of an old movie or something.

Caroline smiled at him and moved closer. Klaus raised his eyebrow and watched her intently.

"Is there something I could do for you Mrs. Mikaelson?" George asked her.

"Why, yes, George," she said imitating Klaus's tone and she could feel him smirking behind her, "you could start calling me by my name. I am sure you know it right?" she asked him with a kindness that obviously threw the man off.

"I, Mrs. Mikaelson, yes, I mean," the poor man lost his words.

She could hear Klaus stifling his laughter and she turned around and threw him an annoyed look which made him smile widely at her. He then moved near her and turned his attention to George.

"It's _Caroline_ George, such a lovely name don't you think?" he asked him and Caroline wanted to kick him at that moment more than ever.

"Yes, master Klaus, it is," the butler said immediately and Caroline rolled her eyes again. She could swear that Klaus was enjoying this. All of this.

Klaus laughed and this time he wrapped his hand around her waist bringing her closer to his side. Her look turned angrier, but Klaus bent his head near her ear speaking to her loud enough for the butler to hear.

"Sweetheart, I think you are going to cause dear old George a stroke," he said as his nose gently touched her ear causing her to blush.

She turned her attention to the man in front of her.

"I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable, if you -,"

But the butler interrupted her gently by raising his hand causing Klaus to look at him more surprised than ever. George had been with his family ever since he was a baby. He had never seen him looking less formal and more gentle than he did at that moment. _With Caroline_. He was amazed.

"It is okay, Mrs. Caroline, it will be my honor," he said to her.

"Thank you," she replied and he gracefully bowed again and left.

Caroline stepped away from Klaus's hands and looked at him sharply. This kind of affection he was showing her was really making her mad. It was over the top and she was willing to bet that he was trying to provoke her. It seemed like she couldn't stop herself from reacting. Anger was flashing through her and it was showing like a neon sigh.

But what surprised her was the fact that he seemed to be looking at her impressed.

"What?" she asked him and she almost stomped her foot down.

"I have to say love, I am impressed," he told her.

She waited for him to explain. He was such a hard man to read. She was always on edge with him. She could never tell when his mood was about to change. She had spent the last few hours with him and she felt like she was playing a game of deadly chess. She couldn't tell what his next move would be. Intimidation, danger, tenderness, seduction. All were part of his game and it was making her head spin.

There was amusement in his gaze and his everlasting smirk was in place.

"George is always very formal, making him call you by your name in less than 5 minutes is quite the achievement, he must really like you," he told her and this time his features were an impeccable mask. She couldn't see his true intentions. And that scared her. _He_ scared her.

"You make it sound like it would be impossible for someone to like me," she said in a low yet steady voice as she locked her gaze with his. It seemed to her that her bravery would be her own lifesaver in this impossible situation. So she would use it no matter what. Even against him.

"On the contrary, love," his tone turning seductive and yet there also seemed to be a simple sincerity in his manner that was contradicting his own seduction.

There it was again. He was like the tide. She couldn't tell when the waters would rise and when they would fall. All she knew was that she could drown at any moment. And if there was anything that her family had taught her it was that there was only one way to go down. And that was fighting.

Tides were bound and controlled by the attraction of the moon and the sun she thought. Everyone had their own weakness. Could she be that for him? If he could play with her and pull her strings as he had told her before then why couldn't she also make him dance to the tune she would sing?

Why fight against the tide? Maybe she should just learn how to harness it.

She smiled and approached him. She held her breath and she could tell that he was taken aback by her reaction, but her smile didn't falter.

"You know… if your butler could learn to call me by my name in less than 5 minutes then maybe you could follow his example" she sweetly told him, daring him to react. He remained silent. She couldn't tell if what was doing was a disaster in the making. His face was expressionless.

And then there was a flash of lust in his gaze and she knew that she could do this. She knew that she shouldn't be playing with fire, but she longed to make him pay for what he did to her in the gardens. She didn't know why she was thinking this way. This wasn't her. She wasn't one to play games, to challenge, to taunt.

And yet right now she was.

She slowly moved even closer to him. Her face coming closer to his. If he could play this game at will then so could she. She gently placed her hand on his upper arm and she felt his muscles tensing under the leather of his jacket. It was her time to smirk as she saw him instinctively leaning closer to her.

"All those pet names are quite irritating," she coldly said and straightened her back. She looked at him sharply.

She moved away from him and her look turned challenging.

"It is not sweetheart, love or whatever; it is Caroline, such a lovely name don't you think?" she threw his own words back to him.

She stood her ground and he stared down at her. At that moment she knew that no one ever dared to play with Klaus Mikaelson like this. Not even the slightest. And instead of feeling fear all she could feel was a sudden wave of excitement. A thrilling sensation that rivaled the one she could see in his eyes.

Dear God, what had she gotten herself into?

A firestorm lit up in his eyes with such intensity that it almost made her lose her balance. Now he was the one to slowly come near her. His gaze moved over her face. Drinking her in. She bit her lip and held her breath. That caused his gaze to change. It became almost affectionate.

"My family is waiting" he bent his head towards her so that his mouth was against her ear " _Caroline_ ," he said her name as if he was casting a spell. He was doing what she asked. Calling her by her name and yet it was using her own demand and her own name against her. She now realized that his pet names were safe. They were impersonal. The way her name was rolling on his lips was too intimate. And she liked it in a way she knew she shouldn't like.

All this was getting out of hand but she couldn't control herself. She turned her head to her side, following the sound of his voice. Her eyes met his and his lips were now close to hers. They stared each other for a moment but then he moved back.

"Should we?" he asked her and offered her his hand.

She nervously swallowed and nodded. All her courage was now gone under his piercing gaze.

He took her hand and led the way. This time she didn't withdraw her hand from his.

.

.

.

As they were going to meet his family, something that was really scaring her, he was speaking to her. He was showing her directions and paintings. He was talking to her about his, _about their_ , house. In a weird way his voice seemed like a lullaby. It was calming her.

They eventually approached two grand glass Victorian doors.

"This way sweetheart," he told her and she didn't complain at him for not calling her by her name. It was safer that way.

But as they were going in he stopped her and his eyes bore into hers.

He looked at her almost transfixed, but then he shook his head and bent towards her. His mouth near the column of her neck.

"Trust me," he whispered and she stilled.

She narrowed her eyes, but he just took her by her hand and led her into the living room.

His whole family was there and she felt uncomfortable since all eyes fell on her.

The room was impressive. Glass doors and stained glass windows, a heavy chandelier, paintings, Victorian styled furniture and earthy colors. The room seemed majestic and yet each detail was fading due to the presence of Klaus and his family.

"You are finally back," Rebekah said sounding annoyed.

"Behave Rebekah," Esther said and Rebekah didn't say anything else.

Esther then turned her attention to Caroline and Klaus smiled.

"Did you have a good time?" she asked them fondly, but Caroline felt uncomfortable. So much that she instinctively moved closer to Klaus. There was something in that woman's eyes that she didn't like. It was probably her imagination and the fact that she was feeling insecure in this place, but in any case she couldn't help the rush of uncertainty and fear she felt under the gaze of her new mother in law.

Klaus smiled and held Caroline closer to him earning a glare from Rebekah.

"Indeed we did, did we not love?" he asked Caroline looking at her in a way that ironically made her feel secure.

"In a way," she mumbled and saw amusement dancing in Klaus's eyes.

"Well, Caroline maybe later you and I can take a walk to the gardens and you will let me show you the grounds," Esther said with a smile.

She was about to reply, but Klaus intervened.

"That won't be necessary mother, I have already shown her the gardens anyway," he said and she tensed as she remembered how exactly he had shown her the gardens. She also couldn't understand why Klaus had this attitude. He almost seemed protective of her. She couldn't help but wonder if he was trying to shield her from his family and their ill intentions of if he was trying to completely alienate her from everyone except him.

"It is okay, Klaus," she said and it felt weird calling him by his name. She ignored the strange sensation and turned her gaze to Esther "Your gardens look very beautiful and I would like to visit them with you too, Mrs. Mikaelson," she said with her most polite tone and Esther nodded understandingly to her.

She realized that Esther's sharp eyes were basically scanning her. She didn't know what she was trying to see or what she was seeing in her and she didn't want to find out either.

"I am sure Klaus will be disappointed, mother. Taking his bride from their honeymoon bed so soon to show her the gardens wouldn't be ideal for him would it?" Kol barged in with a smug smile and she felt herself blush.

Rebekah made a gagging noise and Klaus growled. She shifted uncomfortably as she remembered again what had happened between her and Klaus the night before. Kol couldn't possibly know what emotional turmoil his comments were causing her.

"Enough!" Esther said with a booming voice and her husband sighed.

"Everyone sit down," Mikael said authoritatively and all of them, including Klaus, obeyed. She sat on a Victorian style sofa next to Klaus feeling quite out of place. It was weird being in between the Mikaelson family like that. It seemed like an imaginary situation and yet now she was officially one of them. She wasn't foolish enough to believe that they would trust her and would give information to her about anything, but being between them right now was enough to make her skin crawl.

Klaus held her close to him. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and he held her hand with his other hand. He was lazily caressing her palm with his fingertips and even though she wanted to retaliate and go sit somewhere else or at least sit at that opposite end of the sofa she knew it would be a stupid thing to do. She tried to relax even though his caresses were sending goose bumps all over her skin.

What made her feel even more uncomfortable was the way Klaus looked. His gaze was fixed on Mikael. There was a wicked expression in his eyes and he seemed to be enjoying the moment. He seemed intimidating and the more he caressed her hand the more she felt like she was in the midst of a viper nest.

The air was thick all around them and Mikael turned his attention to her.

"Forgive my youngest son for his coarse behavior, he has still to learn some manners," he told her and looked at Kol sharply.

She nodded awkwardly and then noticed that Kol seemed to be in pain as he sat on a couch with heavy pillows. She remembered that Damon had hit him some hours ago and she bit her lip. She never expected to be grateful for Mikael's presence, but she was. He was the only one that could guarantee her safety into this place.

"Don't worry love, Kol is quite harmless, aren't you brother?" Klaus said in a threatening tone that frightened her.

"If you say so Nik," Kol said dryly and Klaus's gaze clashed with his. A slither of fear passed through her heart, but Klaus just held her hand tighter and she was taken aback by the fact that his presence and his touch were soothing her fear. She refrained from looking at him. She didn't want him to understand that she was feeling dependent on him.

"Father I am sure you didn't gather us here to see Nik and Kol fighting over the new addition to our family," Rebekah cut in with a blaze tone.

She looked down and tried to control her own temper. She didn't know how long she would be able to stand Rebekah's and Kol's provocations without expressing her own anger. An anger that kept piling up inside her. She knew that it would be a mistake to confront them, at least directly, but this was not who she was. She was used to speaking her own mind and this was taking a toll on her.

"Actually, Rebekah, your father has something very important to say, so can all of you please act civilized for moment?" Esther said while she drank some of her red wine.

Caroline noticed that both Mikael and Esther were holding drinks. She didn't know them personally, but it seemed quite weird to her. It was still quite early for them to start drinking.

She also noticed the cruel looks Mikael and Klaus were exchanging. There seemed to be a silent battle between them.

"Well, _father_ ," Klaus asked with interest but there was a subtle irony in his tone that was clear to everyone, _"what is it you want to tell us?"_

His voice was pure menace. A mixture of arrogance and contempt that caused her to wince. Mikael looked at him with enmity and since she was in the middle of all of this she felt like she was suffocating.

Mikael turned his back to them and went next to Esther. She gave him her hand and her most supporting look. Kol and Rebekah looked at each other and the scene that was unfolding in front of them. It was obvious that they didn't know what was going on either.

Klaus's smirk grew wider and his fingers kept drawing patterns on her skin. Without understanding it she gripped his hand tighter and her nails unintentionally sank into his skin. He just brought her hand to his lips and soothed her anxiety with a kiss that made her blood boil.

The words he had told her before they entered the living room were now playing in her mind on repeat.

' _Trust me…'_

In the depths of his eyes there was a pool of conflicting emotions that was robbing her ability to breath. Something was about to happen and Klaus knew perfectly well what it was. From the looks of it he seemed pleased with the whole situation and that only scared her more.

"What is going on," Kol asked and this time he looked absolutely serious.

Klaus leaned back on the sofa and crossed his legs. He looked absolutely pleased at Mikael's expression and his eyes darkened even more. She became aware of the byplay between Klaus and Mikael. They way those two men silently communicated with each other at that moment seemed to her like a dark dance. A struggle of dominance with lethal undertones. Shivers ran through her as she realized now more than ever that she was trapped in a place full of peril.

Mikael turned his back on all of them and stared at a certain painting. It was the fall of Lucifer from the heavens.

He never was one for art, but this must have been the only painting he could always relate too. It didn't matter that it was created by the hands of his bastard son. The same son that was now casting him aside from his own kingdom. It did seem poetic in a sense.

His gaze hardened.

"Father?" Rebekah's tone was filled with uncertainty and fear.

He turned and looked at his children.

Then he looked at Klaus who was staring him with a look of pure glee. He also looked at the way his son was holding his new possession. He almost felt pity for the girl.

He took the last sip from his drink and smiled. A smile that to others would seem ruthless, but he knew that Klaus was relishing at this sight even more.

"I was never a man of many words so I will make this short," he said emotionlessly.

"Caroline as you know already your marriage with…my son had been arranged by your father and me," he said as he looked at her with a sharp gaze.

She looked at Mikael unable to prevent the anger from flashing in her eyes.

"Yes, I know," she confirmed bitterly and tried to discretely wiggle her hand out of Klaus's hold, but found it impossible.

"What you might not know is that your father and I planned to give to you and my son a certain wedding gift," he said and she blinked surprised.

From what she already knew a bank account in hers and Klaus's name had been created and both her brothers and Mikael had transferred multiple funds from their personal accounts. The amount was exorbitant.

Elena was quite enthusiastic when she was informing her of all of this. Truth is that all this 'generosity' was making her ill because in reality it was one more thing that was binding her to Klaus. She would rather give away all this fortune and be free than be forced to marry him and spend the rest of her life next to man like him.

She also knew that the plans to marry her off with Klaus must have been organized for some time now since Damon had informed her that before her father died he and Mikael had made a contract that after her marriage to Klaus there would be a transfer of titles to their names. Those titles referred to companies, estates and condos all over the world. The deal also included a significant package of equity funds for them and a trust fund for any children she would have with Klaus.

She also knew that there had been a secret deal in favor of Klaus that included certain aspects from the underground business of both families.

All those contracts and excessive numbers were hurting her head in all honesty. Technically this was also supposed to be a form of protection for her. This was now hers and Klaus's private fortune that was no longer tied to the Mikaelson or the Salvatore family. Supposedly Klaus couldn't touch any of the above things without her signature. It was of course a given in their world that he was the one that would have the main control and that she would have to obey and respect his wishes and decisions.

The same thing would apply for Rebekah's and Damon's marriage.

All the above were things that she already knew. She couldn't understand what Mikael was talking about or why Klaus seemed so eager and content.

"Giuseppe was a wise man Caroline; he knew that the times have changed. And it is known that with the times we must follow," he quoted Giuseppe bitterly.

Caroline couldn't know that Mikael was internally cursing Giuseppe for his trap.

The old man knew that he was dying and had set the cards in a way that insured him that Damon wouldn't have to face him, but Klaus. That way the Mikaelsons would have to go through the same directional changes the Salvatores would go through after his death and that would buy time for Damon and Stefan to gain control.

And of course Klaus took complete advantage of this opportunity, if anything he was certain that he was the one that orchestrated this whole plan with Giuseppe behind his back. He had to give it to him. Klaus had played him nicely. The pupil obviously wanted to surpass his teacher and in this battle he seemed to achieve exactly that.

In any other case he would be able to attack now that the Salvatores were weak in leadership, at least until Damon would cement his place as the new leader of their organization, but now he couldn't do that. Caroline's marriage with Klaus ensured this. It was an awful dreadful coincidence that the Lockwoods appeared at the scene at the exact moment they did and that they seem to always have intelligence over the next moves of the Mikaelsons and the Salvatores. And in addition the last ordeal he had to go through. It was ironic now that he thought about it. Everything was now falling into place for his bastard. Even God favored him. Or should he say the devil?

He turned his full attention to the blonde girl again. Pity that she was an innocent. He knew that this would soon change now that she was in the claws of his worthless son. If only Elijah had managed to protect himself from Klaus he thought with fury. But Elijah found his way into an early grave just as Finn and Henrik did and now the throne belonged to Klaus.

"Go on father, don't leave us in suspense," Klaus mocked him.

He gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. Esther supported him with her gaze, but at this moment he hated her as much as he hated her son. Her adultery was the root of the evil that had befallen his house. He couldn't allow to anyone to know that his wife had been unfaithful to him. It was a matter of honor among their kind. And yet he couldn't get rid of her either. Their marriage had started as one of convenience, but he grew to love her and no matter the rage he had felt he couldn't take her life. And she always made sure to protect the life of her bastard afterwards.

If things were different. If Klaus was his true son right now he might even have been proud of him. But he was not. And in the last years Klaus's actions had been nothing but a disappointment to him.

"Unfortunately, Caroline," he said ignoring Klaus's interruption and the strange gazes that Kol and Rebekah were casting him "your father died before seeing you and my son unite your lives. He would have been proud and he would have explained to you that from now on things are about to change," he said.

Caroline looked at him without understanding where this was going on. Things had already changed. She was married to Klaus. Nothing could be worse than this.

"Giuseppe and I had decided two things. One was that the union of our families was unavoidable and the other was that it was time to step down. Both of us," he said and Caroline's breath stilled.

She dared to look at Klaus and she only saw darkness in him.

Kol and Rebekah were left speechless.

"The arrival of the Lockwoods was a wake-up call. The world is a different place and it is time for the new generation to take the lead. That means your brother and…Klaus," he informed her and went to pour another drink.

She completely paled and her heart rate sped up as she tried to swallow her fear. This couldn't be happening. If Klaus were to replace Mikael he would gain complete control. She would be completely left at his mercy.

"Giuseppe's death ensured Damon's place as the leader over your family's interests," he continued as he drank more of his scotch.

"I could go back on our deal if I wanted to," he said and his hard gaze locked with Klaus's murderous one.

There was a carefully veiled threat in his words as he challenged Klaus, but he retreated almost immediately.

"But I would like to consider myself a man of honor and Giuseppe was right, it is time for things to change. Truth is that I am getting old and I need to devote some time to my lovely wife, a thing that I have denied her for a long time now," he said with a gentle tone.

"Father you can't mean that," Rebekah said with a low voice.

Esther picked herself up and went next to Mikael.

"Actually Rebekah," she stepped in, "your father and I have decided to travel," she said with a smile.

Mikael nodded and Klaus smirked.

"If anything it has been a long time coming father," he said with his most polite and fake tone.

Rebekah was speechless and Kol had his piercing gaze pointed at Klaus.

"In the next days me and your mother will depart for England," Mikael said in a cold voice.

"And Klaus will take his place as the head of our family," he announced with finality and complete and utter silence followed his words.

Klaus's satisfaction was rolling off of him in waves that were crashing into her and destroying each and every hope she had left.

His words from earlier were now echoing in her mind.

" _Sweetheart you may not realize it right now but you will need my protection. Your life depends on it. Soon you will see that I am the_ _ **only one**_ _you can rely on if you want to survive this…"_

He was telling her the truth. She didn't realize it then, but his words spoke more than just the truth. He was revealing to her her own future.

Mikael wouldn't be able to protect her in any way. She would be left alone in this hell. Trapped and powerless. Counting only on her husband's good graces.

Klaus was now more than just a player. He was taking control over everything and she would have to live next to him and learn how to survive in to his world.

He was the one that was going to decide her fate from now on. She didn't have any delusions any more. She knew that she belonged to him and he could do with her anything he wished. She was nothing more than a trophy wife. They had trapped her into a game that was a lot bigger that she could even start to contemplate. Everything was a well orchestrated game of deadly chess and she was nothing but a pawn in their games.

Klaus was right. She was just collateral damage. Her brothers had sacrificed her in order to gain power. It was never about the Lockwoods. All was a game in order to make Mikael step down. A game that would ensure Klaus' rise to power and Damon's survival in his new position.

All of them had used her and Klaus was now going to continue to do so. She was nothing but an instrument for him to play at will. She felt like she was drowning.

There was no way out she thought as her eyes filled with unshed tears.

Klaus still held her hand and his fingers seemed more like chains. Unbreakable chains that were imprisoning her where she now belonged. With a man who was condemning her to an existence that would cast a heavy shadow over her life and would forever change her.

She felt his thumb tilting her head up so he could see her eyes. She saw pure triumph in his gaze.

The firestorm that lit his dark eyes was sparkling flames in her veins. She was burning and falling into an abyss that had no end.

He had asked her to trust him when he knew from the beginning that she didn't have any other choice. He had left her with no other alternatives than to ally with him and she knew that a dalliance with Klaus would require specific concessions on her part. She would have to give to him more than just her oath of matrimony. She would have to surrender her body, her mind and even her soul. She might even have to give him her own life in the end.

His lips found hers and she knew that this kiss was the one that sealed her fate. He was never going to let her go. Their marriage had given him all he wanted.

Last night he had gained the Queen and today he had claimed his throne.

_Long live the King…_

… _.and may the God save the Queen…._

* * *

**How do you love on a night without feelings?**   
**She says, love, I hear sound, I see fury**   
**She says, love's not a hostile condition**

**What is love but the strangest of feelings?**   
**A sin you swallow for the rest of your life?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Many thanks to the amazing Anastasia Dreams for her beta work.  
> -Songs used as inspiration for this chapter : The Godfather theme song (Instrumental version of Speak softly love from The Godfather Soundtrack) & Wire to wire by Razorlight.


	6. Queen Takes King

Chapter 6: Hell Thy name is Woman | Part I

**Queen Takes King**

.

* * *

**_Sometimes I justify the words I spill_ **  
**_Like spitting ambers they spoke and kill_ **

**_Outside my troubles are colder_ **  
**_But in these eyes the melody smolders_ **

**_I know the whispers they hurt sometimes_ **  
**_They swell and fracture my peace of mind_ **  
**_But can't you see the sanity in my epiphany_ **

* * *

.

.

.

Caroline Mikaelson stared at the pale reflection in the vanity mirror looking back at her. 'Such a peculiar feeling,' she thought, 'to stare back at a complete stranger in the mirror.'

No matter how much she tried Caroline did not recognize the woman mockingly staring back and she felt as if the parts of her character, that she identified the most with, were soaring and drifting away.

Her eyelids glowed with perfectly applied bronze eye-shadow but the shadows in her eyes brought only a vacant gaze.

She felt tired and on edge. For the last weeks she seemed to have difficulty even when it came to breathing. She always looked behind her and trusted no one. Ever since Mikael's announcement concerning his departure was revealed she had been walking on eggshells around Klaus and his family. The pain she first felt over her forced marriage with Klaus Mikaelson had subsided and was replaced with a different all-consuming sensation that could only be described as dread. She had resigned herself to her fate and that brought a new kind of fear and a new kind of clarity. Klaus had tried to reach out to her and he was always cordial but the danger she felt lurking in her every step in this gilded cage filled with monsters and deceit was enough to challenge her sanity. She was always guarded and she trusted no one and the married woman that was now trapped in the looking glass wore her black silk gown like armor and her red lipstick as a weapon of choice. The chink in her armor was her fear but she had to grow more lethal than her fear and rise above. And so she would. _Tonight_ she would. She promised herself she would.

Caroline looked at the beautiful diamond fan she held in her fingers and with a sigh she pinned it to the right side of her braid. Anna had braided her hair in an elegant updo that ended in a low bun. Some locks framed her face and diamonds pinned in her blonde tresses looked like burning embers in her hair. Her make-up was glamorous with vintage undertones and highlighted the classic image that suited her new name.

Tonight was a special night. She could only avoid the confrontation that was about to unfold only for so long after all.

This night she would return to her old house as a guest. Her brothers were hosting a formal dinner for the families that owed them their alliance and most importantly for introducing the Mikaelsons as part of their extended family through her marriage. So she would attend the dinner as a Mikaelson herself. As Klaus' wife. Their first formal appearance together as a married couple along with Klaus' family.

She hardly reacted when the door of her bedroom opened and Klaus walked in dressed to perfection. His formal suit was black and she forced herself to keep breathing rhythmically when he softly closed the door behind him.

Klaus walked into their room with confidence even though in reality ever since their wedding night, much to Esther's dismay, this room has only been hers. She had to admit she owed him at least that. He had not pressured her at all and he had allowed her to keep her own private space. It was not a safe place but at least he did not impose himself on her. She knew that a man like Klaus considered her his possession and in his mind sooner or later she would give in to him since she was already his.

She pushed these thoughts into the deepest recesses of her mind when a shiver assaulted her body. She felt his penetrating gaze boring holes in her back and she raised her gaze up and saw through the mirror his dark eyes staring at her. She straightened her back and slowly turned around to face him. His stare did not falter for a moment. The twinkle of appreciation in the blue of his eyes was taking in every detail of her appearance tonight.

He took a step forward looking almost mesmerized by the way she looked and he smiled.

"You look… _perfect_."

The last word of his compliment was spoken softly. An almost awestruck whisper that melted against her skin like heavy honey.

She tentatively nodded and forced herself to smile and it surprised her how easy it was to smile at him.

"Thank you."

Her gracious acceptance of his compliment brought a slow smile on his lips. A sensual curving that laced his features with a magnetic allure.

Caroline noticed the box he was holding in his hand. Black velvet.

Klaus sauntered closer and Caroline swallowed down her anxiety as he opened the box he carried. On top of cream colored satin the sparkle of diamonds caught her attention and she almost gasped. It was a stunning necklace that was a perfect match for the diamond bracelet he gave her before their marriage. She was currently wearing it on her left wrist. It was of the same design with added clusters of teardrops on the front and it was so beautifully crafted that for a moment her vanity won over and her fingers itched with the desire to glide over the breathlessly beautiful jewelry.

Klaus studied her every reaction and he looked pleased at the excitement that was softly colored in her eyes. Even if it swiftly passed.

His fingers threaded over the diamonds as he lifted the necklace in his palm and put aside the box. She wondered then how much blood was shed and how many lives were lost for Klaus to be able to afford such a piece and that only if he bought it and not stole it in the first place.

"May I?" he offered and even though his tone was kind she understood that it was not a request. Her eyes shone with indignation for a moment and then she ingested her anger and inclined her head passively.

"You shouldn't have," she tiredly sighed without bothering to hide the sarcasm from her voice as she spun around and waited for him to faster the necklace around her neck.

She didn't need to turn around to see the smirk that appeared in his lips. She felt it. As she also felt his warm breath against the nape of her neck as he leaned closer so to wrap the diamonds around her heated skin. His movements were calculated and certain. His touch lingering warm and tempting. Her back was almost touching his chest and she willed herself to resolutely look down and not see the image their bodies, in their so close proximity, presented in the mirror in front of them.

When the coldness of the diamonds touched her clavicle and the teardrops touched the curve of her exposed breasts she ran her fingertips over the stones as Klaus clipped the necklace securing it around her neck.

" _Shouldn't I?"_

He lulled his temptation in a hot whisper that reached and warmed the curve of her shoulder and she shivered as his fingertips lingered at the back of her neck. The temptation his voice carried made her heart beat faster waking her up from the stupor she was in all day while preparing herself for tonight's dinner.

Klaus stared at her intently through their reflections on the mirror; his eyes were sharp when his fingers curled around her shoulder momentarily.

Caroline bit back the moan that rose deep in her throat and broke the spell by nearly stumbling away from him as if she was electrocuted. Her mind was clashing with the desires born in her body whenever Klaus was near. It was uncomfortable when he was coming closer and yet deep inside a part of her yearned this closeness and wanted him to invade her personal space and share his warmth and touch.

"It is beautiful," she accepted his gift while forcibly banning all emotion from her voice and Klaus looked almost disappointed by her constant rejection but it took him only a second to put back on his perfect mask that suited his always confident demeanor.

"Almost as beautiful as you."

His corny line broke the ice she had encased her heart in. She rolled her eyes at him. He pressed his lips awkwardly for a moment as if he was embarrassed for his old fashioned courting but then he laughed under his breath making her bite back a smile too.

Caroline opened her mouth to say something, realizing that this passing lighthearted moment somehow lifted her spirits and replaced her melancholic mood with a sense of optimism but it was only temporary as she reminded herself of what was ahead. She could not compromise just because Klaus had charming dimples and a captivating smile. She had to be just as implacable as he was beneath his façade of civility and for that she had to mimic his ruthlessness.

She gathered all of her courage and balanced on her heels with great aplomb and took her clutch purse in her hand.

Her poise was upright and her head high as she faced Klaus with a daring stare of fearlessness and if she did not know any better she would actually believe that if the way he looked at her was any indication he was impressed if not stunned by the regality of her posture.

"Should we go?" she coldly proposed feeling the overwhelming need to get out of this room and stop being confined alone with her husband.

Klaus bent his head as if he was in deep thought while his eyes remained fixated on her face. It seemed that he was searching for something and whatever it was he must have found it because he took a deep breath before he sauntered closer to her and extended his hand to the right pointing towards the couch.

"Before that I would like for you and I to talk for a while, sweetheart," he softly said and the way he kept staring at her made her feel the need to squirm.

She squinted her eyes at him and examined the soft wrinkles around his dimples in the way his challenging gaze brought a lazy smile of encouragement on his lips.

She tilted her head and arched an eyebrow at his playful provocation since he was not backing down and so she huffed and followed his lead.

They went and sat down on the couch and she tried not to fidget with her purse at their close proximity. He was really good looking tonight and the cologne he was wearing suited his powerful air of assertiveness and his immaculate appearance. Caroline sat upright and waited for him to talk but she only saw the mischievousness in his gaze as if he dared her to speak first. She narrowed her eyes at him and in return he imitated her expression teasingly. It was as if there was an invisible rope both of them kept pulling and pushing, trying to make the other one surrender its hold first.

"So…what do you want to talk about?" Caroline relented and Klaus reached for her hand that rested on the surface of the couch between their bodies.

His thumb stroked the light blue vein underneath the soft skin of her wrist and the pattern he was drawing had a sinful way of creating goosebumps all over her body.

"Us."

His low voice was husky and Caroline took a deep breath. She tried to remove her hand but his palm covered hers, locking their fingers together. A possessive gesture and intimate enough to show her that she was safe with him and yet she would not be able to escape him.

' _Us'_ he had said. A word so small and yet so big in its meaning and she wished she shared his point of view but she refused to give in to _that_ word when it came to him.

She had nothing to say to that proclamation of unity he just made. She waited and noticed how the dangerous menace that always lingered in the blue shade of his eyes, that swirled between darkness and light was replaced with a softness that made him look younger. The clock was ticking between them and the silence felt ominous, creating a strain on Caroline's nerves and yet she was unable to look away and break away from the hypnotic spell he had cast on her. It made her skin tingle. It brought fire to where he touched and somewhere along the way, whenever Klaus was near, she somehow forgot how to breathe. It was a victory over her and she hated it. She hated it as much as she hated him for it.

Klaus sighed and very slowly and reluctantly he let go of her hand and instinctively she flexed her fingers trying to compensate for the loss of his touch with movement.

"I know that we started on the wrong foot and I am willing to admit I am to blame for it. I asked you for your trust and yet I have done nothing to earn it," Klaus confessed almost apologetically but his words vibrated with something she could only describe as vivid. Something vividly hypnotizing and she felt the need to lean forward and let that curious sensation his accent always created inside her melt in her bloodstream. Instead she remained still and she narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion.

"No you haven't," she agreed with caution and the sad smile that appeared on Klaus' lips softened the hard edges around his mouth.

"Neither have you love," he pointed out," you closed yourself off and you are not letting anyone in."

"By anyone, you mean you," Caroline sharp reply was laced with bitterness.

There was a hint of accusation in his admission as he tried to make it all about her. It was not his life that had turned upside down. It was not his choices that were swept away in this mess. He did not have to deal with the whole lot of suck that came along after their wedding. He got everything he wanted out of this deal. For now.

"I am your husband, sweetheart," Klaus insisted breathing out heavily. He tried to reach for her hand again but she removed it as if she was about to be struck by a snake. Something that made Klaus stiffen and look at her almost offended.

"And I have to trust you because of it?" she bit out but otherwise remained calm. She could not afford to let her venom choke her right now. She had to wait to let it out.

Klaus shook his head.

"Because of it… no," he mumbled in acceptance and licked his lips anxiously before staring at her hopefully, "give me a chance, Caroline. One chance. I dare you," he challenged but it was more than just a challenge. He was tempting her in. It was seduction. His eyes were flashing with fire and she tilted her head to the side.

"Where's the catch?" she played along and saw how Klaus beamed at her response.

He nodded elatedly and Caroline's gaze lit up with realization. He was starting to enjoy this game of pull and push between them and she tried to convince herself that she didn't. That there was not a hidden part of her that was becoming addicted to the thrill Klaus offered. That her darkest deepest desires were not waking up demanding to be acknowledged.

"My father will leave the day after tomorrow," Klaus then announced and she froze. She saw how Klaus did not miss the way she stilled. There was an almost undetectable frown on his features but both of them as if they were in sync managed to cover their reactions at once.

"I see. When will he return?" Caroline questioned almost courteously and Klaus gave her a knowing look, making her swallow down the breath she was holding in.

She didn't even have to ask. Mikael would not return if Klaus had a say in it and even if he did, by the time of his return, Klaus would have taken all of his power away. All of his contacts and ties with the mob would be distant to the once upon powerful head of the Mikaelson family and Klaus would sever them. Once and for all.

"Soon," Klaus mused in a vague dismissive tone that agitated Caroline even more.

Klaus' shrug made her push her nails into the flesh of her palm.

"For Rebekah's wedding," Klaus faked an educated guess and the evasiveness that shrouded his words was something Caroline did not like at all.

Mikael was meant to be her last line of defense against Klaus. He was supposed to be her protection and to balance the scales for her in this alliance. Mikael's promise of protection at her wedding had been a matter of honor and she somehow was willing to bet that her father would have never agreed with this union without this insurance. Giuseppe knew that Klaus was volatile and a threat and despite this contract between their families she still believed that her father loved her. He would never sacrifice her to a man like Klaus without making sure that she would have a safety net inside the Mikaelson clan and she had to believe that her brothers also had gotten the same assurances. But somehow, Klaus had managed to prevail in his internal struggle for power with his father and what was promised to her family and to her would not be of much importance now.

And there her husband was once more. Giving so little to nothing at all and asking everything in return. Here he was trying to appear magnanimous and asking for a chance of trust when he was still playing his games behind her back while holding all the cards.

"Until then Mikael's departure should be kept under wraps. It would be _prudent_ if you were not to inform your family."

Klaus revealed his true intentions making Caroline bite the inside of her cheek until the metallic taste of blood hit her tongue.

"Why shouldn't I?" she formed her question in a manner that she hoped sounded like confusion and innocent inquiry. She tried to convince him with her eyes that she was ignorant and naïve enough to not understand why he was asking her this.

"You are a Mikaelson now love," Klaus bragged satisfied and she almost flinched, "your interests lie on this side of the board now. _With me_."

"Mikael will announce his retirement in due time," Klaus said and his tone dripped with almost maniacal satisfaction that Caroline' breath caught in her throat, "it is not just about our families anymore. There are more players in the game now and we need to be careful with our secrets. For safety reasons," Klaus ambiguously told her.

"Our families? And here I thought we were one family after our marriage."

She could not hide the mockery in her voice and Klaus hummed.

"You and I are," he promised her.

Caroline pressed her lips together. She wanted to tell him that they weren't. That this beautiful delusion was nothing but that. A delusion.

However she said nothing. She didn't have too. They both knew that what was often written on paper did not actually carry any weight in the real world. And yet the weight of the ring on her right hand reminded her of the vows she gave on the altar and the weight of those was unbearable upon her soul.

Klaus took advantage of her daze and he interlaced his fingers with hers; brought her palm to his lips. Her knuckles turned cold and white under the thaw of his kiss.

"One chance," he tempted her once more and she evaded the heat of his touch by carefully removing her hand from his. She guardedly rubbed the spot his lips touched as she absentmindedly tried to put more distance between them. The soft kiss still burned when she tried to nod and his smile cast a heavy shadow. She knew better than to trust a lie and soon he would learn that when it came to lies she has been raised to be one too.

" _Klaus_ -"

He scooped closer and pressed his finger against her lips silencing her. Her eyes widened and she held her breath at the gentleness of his gesture. Tension bounced between their bodies. The close proximity making her heart beat in a frenzy.

" _Please Caroline_ ," the way her name slipped from his mouth painted Caroline's cheeks crimson as fire shimmered underneath every letter of her name that Klaus pronounced almost reverently. She had begrudgingly asked him days ago to call her by her name and now she hoped he would not. It was a torture that left her weak, "I do not use this word lightly," Klaus revealed to her and she could tell that he was not a man that was used to asking and pleading, "and I know what I am asking from you. I ask a lot," he admitted and Caroline wrapped her fingers around his wrist and pushed his hand lower until his fingers skimmed her jawline making her skin tingle.

"You ask everything," she whispered almost inaudibly and Klaus enclosed her chin between his thumb and the curling of his index finger, titling her head back in order to make her look at him.

"And in return, I am ready to give you everything. All you have to do is ask," Klaus vowed.

Caroline observed him carefully and when his fingers wrapped around the nape of her neck bringing her impossibly closer her eyes fell on his lips before she stared into his eyes.

"Let us begin, sweetheart. You and I. Together we can have _everything_. I will lay the world at your feet if you ask me to," he enticed her, sounding sincere. "All I am asking is one chance. _Only one_."

"One chance," she repeated straightforwardly pretending to think about his offer. And, for some moments, she was ashamed to admit that she actually did as the world turned and spun around them. It would be so easy to surrender to him. But, she held on to her last remnants of resolve before they dissolved before him. Becoming Klaus' trophy wife and his pawn was not the everything she craved.

" _One chance_ ," Caroline agreed with a trembling voice full of emotion. Klaus exhaled with relief. The lie that slipped through her lips sounded honest and nothing but sincere which prompted Klaus to give her a genuine smile of gratefulness and she did not miss the sparkle of victory that showed in his eyes as she pretended to bestow her trust and fealty to him.

She withdrew from his hold before he could seal their deal with a kiss and saw the pained fever and the need that flashed through his eyes as she tried to recollect herself and her stray thoughts.

"I promise you won't regret it, sweetheart," Klaus gave her his oath fervently, with so much passion, Caroline almost believed him.

Stefan had once told her Klaus Mikaelson was a master manipulator and he was able to weave his schemes and web of enticing lies in the shadows and under the nose of his enemies and his victims. And, Caroline could now see why. In the last days she had seen the way he slipped through shadow and lies and right now she felt how much he enjoyed the game. The temptation. The strategy. The thrill of bringing someone to the precipice of destruction, and without them ever seeing it coming, give them a shove into his world until they bowed and belonged only to him either as servants or as casualties. But, she would not be collateral damage. Not for him or her brothers. Never again. If Klaus wanted a chance, he would have to prove himself to her and treat her as an equal and for that to happen she would have to prove him to that she was one. One that could play him in his game. And win.

Caroline hid her thoughts from his prying scrutiny; she took his hand without averting her eyes from his heated gaze as he got up and graciously helped her stand. The matching diamond infinity bracelet slid down her wrist and Caroline as if she was in a daze watched the diamonds shining on her skin reflect the light. She felt detached from everything as Klaus pretended to be the perfect gentleman attentively wrapping her shawl around her shoulders; he then secured her arm on his elbow leading her out of what others knew as their bedroom.

As they walked down the marble stairs, ready to join Klaus' family Caroline saw the awe and the envy they attracted from everyone. Together they created quite an image. Of a couple regal and united while she wore Klaus' gifts as tokens of his power and as a sign of her commitment and loyalty to her husband.

And truth to be told, the necklace Klaus gave her just like its twin bracelet were nothing less than fit for a princess. Wrong she mentally corrected herself. They were a fit for a Queen.

She used to be a princess but no more. Because everything she wore tonight sent a message. And, Caroline knew perfectly well what that message was meant to say. She was the wife of the King and everyone was meant to see her as such. And, for tonight, she would embrace this role with confidence and vicious ruthlessness.

She knew what she had to do and how to act and use these gifts in the right way, even if the emotions they created in her was a new experience. She had been raised in similar luxury, always pampered by the wealth of her family. Her father and her brothers always graced her with expensive gifts and yet somehow these diamonds did not seem to belong to her. She was not that kind of person anymore but just as she rejected the heavy weight they cast upon her heart and identity while embracing her new station in life, realization crashed over her once more. She might have once believed that she had defeated the world she was born in, but she hadn't. Because if she had, she would not be here now wrapped up in all dressed up in black silk and high heels standing next to Klaus Mikaelson and wearing his wedding ring on her finger; Caroline realized with dread that this was the person she was now and that peculiar feeling of cognitive dissonance assaulted her again. The same feeling of looking in the mirror and not recognizing herself anymore. She was not the girl she used to be when she ran away to college with hopes of escaping the world of bloodshed and she was not even the girl she used to be before that.

So? Who was she? Would she be able to live with this new woman that was emerging from the Mikaelson name? Would she be able to survive her?

The answer was simple.

Yes, she would.

And that was more she could say for everyone else.

* * *

_**Three weeks ago.** _

_Caroline sucked in an unsteady breath when she entered the chilly atmosphere of Esther Mikaelson's winter garden. The sun's pale autumn rays cascaded over the glass ceilings and stained windows, dimly casting shadows and reflections of rainbow colors at every corner of the massive indoor garden._

_Heavy fragrances from flowers, fruit trees and plants assaulted Caroline and she cautiously wrapped her black jacket closer to her body and looked around at the surroundings rather impressed._

_Klaus in one of his attempts to reach out to her with small talk and bring some sense of familiarity and comfort to their rocky relationship had told her that the gardens in the house were Esther's creation and she was the one that took care of them. Right down to the dirt she would kneel in and work her magic. Their gardeners were rather irked by the fact that the lady of the house did not allow them to interfere with her gardens and effectively replaced them. Which from the looks of it was a massive undertaking._

_Klaus had then told her with dripping sarcasm that the gardens were his mother's pride even more so than her children were. Caroline had said nothing at Klaus' bitter tone but she had heeded his warning when he had told her to never go anywhere in the winter garden without his mother's permission. Obviously, this place was off limits and it was Esther's sanctuary. No one was allowed to enter this place without being invited._

_Today was a fearful exception. Anna had told her that Mrs. Mikaelson had asked for her and Klaus was having a meeting out of the house which seemed a rather peculiar coincidence to Caroline. Usually Klaus intercepted Esther's attempts to speak to her alone and Caroline could not help but wonder why he was so insistent to keep her away from his mother. His persistence was making her curious and unnerved her at the same time. Of course, it was not as if she wasn't anxious to meet Esther Mikaelson all alone. There was something unsettling in that woman. Maybe it was the stern sharpness her gaze held or the mystery that surrounded her but Caroline had to admit that she was terrified of her. So far, she seemed to be one of the few people that were able to keep the Mikaelson family in check. All of them. And, Caroline did not have to be a genius to understand that only a powerful and dangerous person would have such control and power over these untamed killers._

_Caroline tentatively walked over the stone path and under the vine and arbor ceiling that along with the greenery and the trees on each side of the trellis panels created a sort of tunnel decorated with ivy, climbing roses and purple flowers. The humidity and flowery scents were almost suffocating._

_The guards keeping watch outside the entrance doors had told her to walk straight ahead until she reached the wooden frames with the grapevines that led to the staircase. Mrs. Mikaelson was already waiting for her in the conservatory. Anna had given her the same instructions but had not warned about the intimidating environment._

_The interior was modern and made of glass, brick and wood. But, somehow, Caroline could swear that there was something very sinister looming about this place. Maybe it was her imagination playing tricks on her but she was afraid that something would attack her and bury her under one of the trees where no one would ever find her ever again._

_She closed her eyes and shook her head trying to channel her inner Scarlet O'Hara again. She would be strong and she would live through this one way or another._

_She peered through the vines and took in a deep breath."I can shoot straight, if I don't have to shoot too far," she muttered, looking around and feeling her stomach turn leaden. Reciting her favorite movie quotes usually gave her courage but right now her motivational speeches were failing her._

_'Perseverance' she thought. Right! Sure, she could do that._

_"Right?" she wondered aloud and then almost swore under her breath, "Oh, who am I kidding!" She grumbled, hoping that there were no cameras in here recording the first outbursts of her panic attack and kept walking._

_"I am talking to myself now. The first signs of insanity! Just great," she mumbled with annoyance and almost tripped over one of the stones. She huffed agitatedly, blowing her hair away from her face. She wiped her clammy hands over her jeans and tried to calm their quivering._

_This garden somehow evoked memories of her lessons from her Catholic and very strict governess. This place was like the garden of Eden and Caroline knew all too well that there were too many snakes gathering up in every corner under every stone._

_Venomous snakes. All of them. And all of them were ready to bite._

_Caroline once would have expected that all the Mikaelsons shared the same brand of poison but she could not be more wrong on this. During the last weeks of staying with the notorious and most feared Famiglia she came to realize that every one of them was extremely different and dangerous in their own way._

_There were always eyes that followed her every turn but she was also returning the favor. Caroline was studying the Mikaelsons and had come to the understanding that the more she grew to know them, the more reasons she had to fear them._

_Rebekah was made of acid and sharp claws always ready to tear her down and then there was Kol, a blend of a manic tantrums and volatile outbursts who always stalked her with a Joker-like smile, always trying to terrorize her with looming underlined threats that he presented as compliments and innuendos. Kol actually reminded her of Damon. He was unpredictable and prone to violence and he enjoyed playing with his prey but in comparison with Damon he was far more unstable and that was something that scared the living lights out of her; not that she would ever let it show. She would not do that favor for any of them._

_Showing them fear was not an option and yet she lived and breathed in that fear every day. Every story her father and her brothers had told her in the past about the Mikaelsons was a constant reminder in her mind now._

_Klaus had told her to pay no attention to Rebekah and that Kol was not going to hurt her in any way so she should not bother with his childishness but that was practically impossible since the younger Mikaelson kept jumping in front of her every time she came out of her room or was alone and that not only messed with her nerves but also made her reluctant to actually leave the bedroom. It was a new kind of madness that made her restless and irritable. And, in all honesty, Caroline was confused about how Klaus considered traits like killing and hunting down living prey like a bloodhound to be childish quirks. Their idea of normality was obviously very different from what other people perceived as normal._

_Caroline would be a fool to trust Klaus' reassurances of any member of his family. She did not trust Kol as she did not trust Klaus' promises of actually being safe in his house despite all the guards. There were more ways of hurting someone than simply using physical violence and Caroline understood that the Mikaelsons excelled in that even more so than using brute force._

_There were nights and days when both Kol and Klaus returned to the house covered in blood. As red as the roses that bloomed at her every step now. Caroline was not a stranger to the sight of blood. Ever since growing up, she remembered seeing her brothers bathed in the thick blood that belonged to their victims or them. Both Stefan and Damon were made before the age of fifteen and entered the family business under their father but seeing the Mikaelsons painted in blood and gore and pieces of human flesh while holding smoking guns and bloody knives was not something she could come to terms with. She had grown up fearing and hating the name Mikaelson and now she was stuck in their domain helpless and trapped. It was daunting and terrifying._

_However, no matter how fearsome Kol and even Rebekah's menacing disdain was, Caroline had to admit that neither of them could compare to Klaus. There was a glint in her husband's eyes always signaled danger._

_Klaus was not just baring bloody fangs of poison. He was trying to entice her with apples. There were times she could see cold and hot rage in his eyes and then there were times she could see want and need and temptation. Every time he looked at her in that way her skin tingled. She kept trying to convince herself that the thrill she kept feeling was made of fear and worry. She could not possibly like Klaus and she could not possibly feel safe around him._

_He was a monster._

_They all were in their own way._

_Even her._

_She wanted to pretend that her moral compass was better than anyone else's under this roof but she was accustomed to blood and murder and the code of the Mafia her whole life. She had loved her family despite their crimes and she had covered for them. She had tended their wounds and she had kept her mouth shut. Even though she had tried to get away from that lifestyle, she had been ready to give her life for them should it be needed. But, that was before they betrayed her by giving her to Klaus._

_And, then there was Klaus. Who was able to yield a gun and a smile with the same precision. Klaus that smirked and smiled and tried to reach out to her with caring and gentle gestures while his hands were ready to wrap around anyone's throat like a vice and rip them apart. His smile made spiders crawl under her skin and set a burning temptation in her heart that confused her so much._

_She was so caught off guard by his demeanor. She knew he was a trickster and a master manipulator but he confused her so much. He was attentive of her and protective and at nights she burned with dreams of their wedding. Every rumor she had heard about him, she realized, was the truth and a lie. She knew what he was capable of when it came to being a Capo ever since he had reigned over New Orleans before Mikael stripped it away from him after Elijah's demise. It was too late then, though. Klaus had already made quite a name for himself._

_And, yet, despite the horrific tales that always followed his name she got to see glimpses of his identity under the monster and she understood that there were things she did not know he was capable of. Like smiling and laughing and looking normal which made her realize that Klaus' lies and truths were always intertwined. And, that alone made him elusive and fatal. A kind word and a smirk was what Klaus was. The Devil in the garden that offered you the apple with a smile all the while wrapping its length around you and twisting you up and breaking your bones with glee._

_Klaus was destructive in as much as he was able to seduce and use cunning affection in his actions to make you think that dying in his hands was what you truly wanted. Klaus was able to roar in rage and whisper lullabies and Caroline's biggest fear was the fact that he was slowly taking away her fear and her boundaries. If this new life she was forcibly thrust in was the garden of Eden then Klaus was definitely the Serpent. He was breathing temptation and she feared that she did no longer feared him._

_Only, she did. So much. She feared every temptation and all the violence even though she was starting to become numb to that fear. And, that kind of insanity was making her hang on her last strand of logic and self restraint._

_And when, Caroline thought this could not get any worse then there were Klaus' parents. Her in-laws. Now, that was another whole level of terrifying hell. Mikael's lethal presence and Esther's mysterious poise were contradicting Klaus ways for the most part. At least when it came to the way he was treating her._

_Klaus was always a looming danger but so far he had not hurt her. He was trying to be civil with her and even allowed her to keep her own space and distance from him. He had asked her to trust him but she was not naïve enough to believe his sweet words and vacant promises. And yet, Klaus' efforts to make her trust him had rung different from his echoes of manipulation from time to time. She was still so angry with him and her hate was still raging hot but at least she had managed to settle down a little and allow Klaus to challenge a different reaction from her. In time. Maybe._

_A maybe that kept shattering in a thousand pieces every day._

_Mikael and Esther would soon leave and she would be left alone with Klaus. Her husband would not have to hold up the pretenses anymore. No matter how dangerous and awful her in-laws were, they were still her last thread of safety in a very fragile net that was meant to protect her from Klaus. If anything, Klaus' ability to dethrone Mikael while the older man was still alive and yielded power in the mafia said it all. He was powerful enough to be able to sideline even the boss of the Famiglia. How much more a naive wife that held no real power aside her name and blood. Mikael's hate towards Klaus was the only thing that managed to balance and put a stop to Klaus' ambitions and most importantly keep him in check. The more terrifying Mikael was, the more of an obstacle he could be to Klaus and his plans. Even the plans he had for her. And now, Mikael would leave Chicago along with Esther. What would that even mean for her?_

_The more she walked deeper into Esther's garden the more those questions loomed over her and guided her path towards her mother-in-law._

_She was lost in the same things she thought constantly._

_Every waking hour, every day and night she kept analyzing the Mikaelsons. Trying to find their weak spots. Trying to evaluate their strengths. Trying to understand their motives and their actions. Trying to translate everything that was said and most importantly everything that was left unsaid. This was a certain way to dive into madness but she had to somehow find out how she could use any weakness that family had against them and in her favor._

_Still, she was in square one. She needed allies. She needed connections. She needed some privacy in order to find a way to contact people that could give her a helping hand. Klaus and his siblings would never allow her any wiggle room and logically neither would Klaus' parents but if there was something Caroline knew she could count on it was the hate that existed in made men when it came to their enemies. If it was left to brew, in time it could be an unstable explosive that could be used at the hands of those that knew how to use it. She could use it if need be._

_The equation was simple. Klaus hated his father and Mikael hated Klaus._

_There had to be a way to infiltrate that web of dispute and weave her own way out of the predicament she was in. Mikael had to be the answer and it was a mortifying one and so very dangerous. Dangerous beyond comprehension and even like that it was futile. Klaus had cast him away. And, even if he hadn't, would Mikael ever give her the time of the day to begin with? How would she be able to even approach him without Klaus noticing it?_

_It made no difference. Tactics, manipulations and strategies were a fairly new game to her, at least actively, and Mikael would soon be miles away from Chicago and her._

_The mess of her thoughts carried her to steep steps that led to a narrow gravel path attached to wooden panels veiled with colorful ivy that gated the sunroom deep inside the winter garden. Caroline did not even notice how she reached the lower level to which Anna had told her Esther Mikaelson waited for her._

_Evergreen climbing plants, orchids and roses, snaked up the stone walls creating a hanging waterfall of flowers and green leaves over the glass doors and the bricks. The plants swallowed the wood and lunged on every surface that led to the arched doorway of the conservatory._

_Caroline felt her legs cramping and her hands sweating but despite her anxiety and jumbled nerves she forced herself to wear one of her most confident smiles and-_

_Before she could even take one more step to enter the conservatory she froze and the smile faded from her lips._

_"How long do you think you can avoid our inevitable exile?"_

_Caroline narrowed her eyes. This voice belonged to Esther Mikaelson, that much she expected anyway. She was obviously not alone._

_It was the word 'exile' that mostly triggered Caroline's curiosity. Without putting much thought to it, she snuck closer to the wooden panel close to the half open door and pushed herself in the midst of the amethyst blooms and roses. The green leaves ate her body and enveloped her in their cool shadow. She crouched down and moved closer to the arched frame, making sure that she would remain undetected. She looked around breathlessly. No cameras thank God. At least, she could not detect any. A calculated risk she had to take._

_The baritone cadence that followed brought chills to Caroline's spine even though she half expected it. She gripped on the roses. The crumbled petals bled their scent into her fists._

_'Exile'._

_Now that was an interesting word. Klaus had exiled two people after all. The King and the mother Queen of the Mikaelson family. Just so to usurp their power even before their deaths. Mikael might have postponed his journey with Esther to Europe for a few weeks much to Klaus' dismay but it was still a done deal. Their internal war was obviously on-going but Klaus seemed to hold all the cards. Caroline could not even begin to comprehend the kind of leverage Klaus had over Mikael in order to be able to pull off such a move._

_The cold voice that now filled Caroline's ears held anger and contempt. Icy fury in every syllable and even though her father in law was trying to keep his anger on a leash, Caroline did not miss the threat and the murder in his tone._

_Caroline looked around again. No guards or cameras here. If she was to be caught while spying on Mikael and Esther she feared that she would not leave this place in one piece. For some reason, she felt that this was worth the risk. She had to start collecting her own information and everything that she could use as leverage in this place would be worth any risk._

_She held back an irritated sigh. Even though she was close to the door and even though she could see Mikael and Esther from the cracks of the ivy over the glass wall above her head, she could hardly make out what Mikael was saying._

_She knelt down further on the ground and leaned against the knee length built stone. She had to go closer. Dangerous as that might be she had to risk it._

_She pushed herself closer to the heavy pillars of wood that supported the arch frame and pushed herself more in the weaved in ivy and roses. The rich scent of the blooms filled her nostrils. The voices were coming closer so she stepped closer still. She remained guarded. Her instinct took over and she pushed herself more inside the embrace of the vibrant shades of green and of autumn red as she allowed the rose plants to swallow and shield her from view. Their petals almost choked her and their thorns burned into her now bleeding palms. She flinched at the slight rustling of leaves and prayed that it would not be enough to alert them of her presence._

_So very carefully she peeked through the tangled vines and thorns and looked at the two figures who faced each other. The sun from the glass windows illuminated clearly both Mikael and Esther while Caroline was hidden in the shadows hoping that they would not discover her._

_She frowned when she heard Klaus' name and then her own. Mikael was spitting Klaus' name in an angry hissing symphony of consonants and vowels._

_Caroline grit her teeth. For some reason, this did not feel right. No matter who Klaus was he was still Mikael's son. He did not deserve this._

_These people were trying to present a united front to their enemies when in reality they were brewing a war inside their own family. They kept trying to one up each other with scheming conspiracies in the dark and from the looks of it this was rubbing off on her too. So much for family loyalty and the trust Klaus was trying to earn from her._

_"The Salvatores are not the bargaining chip you hoped they'd be," Esther's voice gained Caroline's attention again. She seemed composed and detached and Caroline flinched both at her cold blooded demeanor and at Mikael's ire. They were both polar opposites of ice that seemed to clash with each other. It was hard to believe that those people had ever been close enough to bring children into this world._

_"Neither are you. You betrayed me Esther. Your bastard son found an ally in you too," Mikael accused her and Caroline could not help but wonder if this was actually true. From all the people in this place it was Esther Mikaelson that confused her the most._

_Esther ignored Mikael's accusation all together and kept her cool._

_"My son seems to be collecting those in countless numbers lately. Starting with his lovely bride." Esther's smile was competing with the frost of her winter garden._

_Caroline felt her blood boil. This particular 'lovely bride' was not Klaus' ally. She was yet to know what side she would take but bending to Klaus' will was not something she was ever going to do._

_"His wife holds no influence," Mikael rejected Esther's claim and Caroline blinked. If he believed that then her life was of no importance to any of them. That prospect terrified her because it was true. In essence, it was true. She did not have any influence. Not here. Not now. She had to change that. Somehow and fast._

_Caroline felt her heart beating faster and faster inside her chest. Painfully so._

_'Lovely bride' be damned. She would not play their game. She was more than just a frail centerpiece for Klaus and the Mikaelsons to put on display for gaining power._

_"Influence or no she still carries a legacy and Klaus... seems to grow fond of her."_

_Caroline froze. She forgot how to breathe. Or to move._

_Was this true? Surely it could not be._

_Mikael's hard laughter echoed in the garden. The thorns felt like nails mangling her flesh as she held on the vines._

_"You know better than I that your son never cared for anyone but himself. What do you think your bastard will do when his new bride tires him? He does have a certain talent at disposing family members he claims to love after all," Mikael said and Caroline understood in that moment the gravity of her situation. Tatia's and Elijah's names and their stories played in her mind over and over again. Either Mikael was right or wrong and in the end it would seem that being loved by Klaus Mikaelson could be even worse than being hated by him._

_All her fears and all her mistrust when it came to Klaus were not unfounded. His gentle words and his smooth approach could not hide the monster underneath. Klaus, just like every other man in their world, was capable only for one thing. To destroy._

_Either he would blow cold or hot in his affections and in the end it was a dead end. She was in a free fall. Surviving Klaus' family did not mean that she would be able to survive him and vice versa._

_How much more proof did she need than hearing Mikael himself setting her fate in stone? She realized now more than ever that her life was actually hanging from a thread. She was in the den of starving wolves and soon enough her husband would sink his teeth into her and tear her apart. As he had done with his brother. As he had done with Tatia. How many victims would she have to count before she would join the ever growing list?_

_This was all the confirmation she would ever need. The seeds of doubt and fear that were planted today in her heart would not be plucked out easily. She had to find a way out of this marriage. Of this life. She had to find a way to escape Klaus Mikaelson._

_"And how about those he never loved, husband? What do you think he is capable of doing to them?" Esther challenged Mikael and Caroline could tell that the older woman was entering dangerous waters. From the way that Esther remained calm in front of the increasing threats that seemed to be building in Mikael, maybe there were waters that were not uncharted to her._

_Caroline did not know what to do. She could see the danger about to get unleashed. It was as if Klaus was Mikael's trigger. Caroline knew that she had to turn away. To leave. To find an excuse later on for why she had not visited Esther as she should but her legs were not obeying her. Her body had turned numb. Fear had clouded her instinct. She wiped the blood of her hands on her black jeans, hoping the stains would not show. She tried to make her hands stop shaking. Tried to hold on to something._

_"Especially now that you only hold the power my son allows?" Esther seemed to derive a certain pleasure at pushing Mikael's buttons and Caroline winced and gripped the stem of a rose harshly. She jumped to her feet just as Mikael moved to strike his wife and before she even understood what she was doing, Caroline stepped in._

_She did not know what possessed her to come out of hiding and stand up for Esther Mikaelson but it was reactionary and now she tried not to cower under the hate she saw in Mikael's glare. Her presence here fueled the tension in the air._

_Caroline took notice of how Mikael's hands had clenched and turned to fists but then the blazing fury turned to a cold mask of eerie calmness that somehow terrified her more. It was as if the air was sucked out of the room._

_"Good morning Mr. Mikaelson. Mrs. Mikaelson, you asked to see me?" Caroline genially asked and a voice inside her head kept ordering her to act as if nothing was wrong. To smile. To look unconcerned. She had wanted to become a drama major after all. She could do this. So she smiled innocently and the scent of fear was pushed back._

_Mikael's lips twisted to a line of hatred as he glanced at his wife one more time before he wore the mask of cold civility once more. Caroline held her chin high. Fake it until you make it would be the only mantra that could get her out of this mess she had found herself in. Mess after mess. So much for calculated risks. This was her every day routine with the Mikaelsons. And, right now showing weakness was not an option._

_Mikael would not dare hurt her anyway. Not in any way that would leave marks and bruises. If anything his feud with Klaus and the code of the family assured her well being for now. It was such a tentative idea that Mikael would not be able to hurt her and treat her like he obviously treated his wife and probably daughter because of the protection Klaus' offered her through their marriage and yet Mikael ironically enough was the protection she needed against Klaus because of that very same marriage. How did her life come to this?_

_"Good morning Caroline. Please feel free to join us," Esther invited her cordially as if she had not interrupted anything important._

_Mikael's eyes scanned Caroline and she tried to not betray her thoughts. At this point, Caroline could tell that Mikael not only suspected that she was eavesdropping on them but he was sure of it. However, Caroline stood tall and refused to cower in front of him._

_"Yes, I am sure you have a lot of things to talk about with your mother-in-law, girl," Mikael finally said before he cast one more scathing gaze at his wife and walked out of the sun room._

_Caroline closed her eyes but the moment of relief did not last long. Mikael had left her with Esther and for some reason it felt as if the room turned even colder with his absence. Caroline's heart started pounding in fear and while she would have expected to be able to breathe more freely now that Mikael had left, she did not._

_Not when she was standing in front of Esther Mikaelson._

* * *

Hell, thy name is...family dinners.

This was the one and only thought that blocked out the chewing noises and the sound of cutlery grinding over fine bone china. The occasional chatter was harder to ignore and so were the intense gazes constantly directed her way. She was a novelty after all. A Salvatore married to a Mikaelson. More so to Klaus Mikaelson.

Elena had prepared one of Caroline's favorite dishes for tonight. Probably to please her, but as Caroline glanced down at the raspberry sauce dressed pork chops she felt queasy. She kept washing down every bite with wine but it still felt like ash in her mouth and waves of nausea kept attacking her stomach.

Caroline wanted nothing more than to leave the impressive dining room and go get some fresh air. Even more she wanted to massage her temples just so to tone down the ache under skin that seemed to be turning into a persistent throbbing. She could tell that it would not be long until she would have to deal with a painful headache. Her nerves were already a twisted mess and she wondered if it was because of her efforts to appear cordial and smile instead of screaming because she knew what was about to come next. She was counting minutes until it all went down.

It was a struggle and an effort to maintain her composure and the setting of this Shakespearean charade was not making it any easier.

She peered at her surroundings. She had finally found herself back in familiar territory. To the place she used to call home and yet now she kept trying to understand why she did not feel at home at all. She knew every corner and wall, every step and piece of furniture. And yet she felt as if her legs had carried her to unknown terrain.

This had been the house she grew up in. The house where she used to dream and feel safe and yet when an hour ago she walked on the stone floorings and the plush carpets once again, she felt nothing. No comfort. No security. She only remembered that the last time she was here she was placed under lock and key. A prisoner inside a gilded cage just so she could be delivered to Klaus on their wedding day. Her last memories from this place were bleak and painful and she had been trying to suppress them for weeks. Now finally back in her old house she felt...nothing. No nostalgia. No emotion. No pain. Emptiness alone.

Klaus himself was the one that helped her out of the limousine and offered her his hooked elbow. She had stared at the monstrous estate that loomed in front of her like a giant in the night as Klaus escorted her into the brightly lit Salvatore mansion. Rebekah Mikaelson, Esther and Mikael himself were following them a few steps behind and she could feel their gazes boring holes into her back.

She had felt nothing when she had entered the foyer and Elena rushed to hug her. She felt cold as she exchanged a few polite and impersonal words with her brothers and remained glued to Klaus' side that somehow seemed ready to shield and protect her from anything that might make her feel uncomfortable. Her dark knight in shining armor that seemed ready to fight for her. 'You've got to love irony' a little voice had whispered in her head. Little did he know that she had her own sword to yield under her aloof exterior.

As the minute hands slowly turned on the clock she had not missed the way Stefan and Damon looked at her interactions with Klaus or simply looked at her.

And neither she or anyone else had missed the fact that for the first time ever since she was born in this house the Mikaelsons were parading under the Salvatore roof as honored guests. As family. No guns were drawn and no blood was shed. Everyone seemed to be on their best behavior as if they genuinely liked each other.

This had been so surreal that it momentarily knocked the air out of her lungs and triggered a hysteric reaction before she remembered what she had to do tonight. It was then he had turned her spine to steel and thanked whatever instincts she had for becoming cold and not letting old memories soften her resolve. She wore her new name as a shield and despite Elena's efforts, she remained close to the Mikaelsons. She had watched with vacant eyes as the families allied to her brothers made an appearance. The one after the other. Captains and guards on their tail. She watched Elena playing the role of the perfect hostess while Henry Wattles, Damon's most trusted soldier, escorted the Heads of the Five Families and their representatives in the living room.

Montavaro, Giardano, Varonese, Berromo and Cantovanni.

All of them were present tonight in some form or aspect. The most fearful and dangerous families aligned with the Salvatores. In total there were eight families that forged the Council table of the Sicilian Outfit, including her own, but the Heads of the Gali family and of the Varusos were currently in jail facing charges for murder, extortion and countless more crimes like racketeering, trafficking, money laundering and everything else the FBI could to pin on them in hopes of actually being able to take them under. It was nothing out of the ordinary, of course. Most of their made men and even their Capos were coming and going in and out of jail and surely in a few months Fat Frank Gali and Tony the Mad Varuso would be out and back in the streets. For tonight they had sent their consultants and their third in ranks for the midnight council but they were considered small fish in comparison with everyone else her brothers were entertaining tonight so they were waiting in the wings and did not attend dinner.

Caroline watched with emotionless eyes as Elena made nice with the wives; she herself had exchanged greetings with everyone but stayed with Klaus and watched as Esther and even Rebekah with her endless snarky comments were engaging in small talk with Elena complimenting her house. Her house indeed. Elena, as Stefan's wife was for now the only lady of the house but this would change. Soon enough Rebekah would become Damon Salvatore's wife. The wife of the Boss of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra. The first wife of the Chicago Outfit. The same position Elizabeth Forbes once held, Caroline recalled with the first tinge of nostalgia and sadness for the night. A fleeting emotion, it passed through her and immediately evaporated as the rest of the guests entered the living room. Rebekah was trying to hide her distaste and was watching the lush surroundings as if they were beneath her and she did her best to ignore Damon. This had been the only source of amusement for Caroline before they all had gotten up and followed Damon, Stefan and Elena to the dining room.

They had all walked past the guards and the servants positioned next to the double doors leading to the opulent dining room meant to host the family's formal dinners. Caroline remembered how she used to sneak out of her room as a child and try to peek at the dining room or the ballroom where all the celebrations were taking place. Little did she know back then that none of those events were joyful or something someone should anticipate with eagerness.

Tonight she knew all too well how dreadful these gatherings truly were. How no one actually enjoyed them and how much of a toll they could take on a person.

The splendor and the luxury did not impress Caroline anymore and when she entered the dining room her eyes did not see a place of comfort but a torture chamber despite the fact that she knew there were people in this world that would die just to have a chance to be so 'fortunate'. But that fortune came with a heavy price and it was not worth it.

From the moment Caroline had stepped inside the dining room she knew that her brothers were trying to impress the Mikaelsons. To show off and win in the game of first impressions.

Klaus had seen her old home when he came to see her, or more to inspect her, before the wedding and to arrange the last details with Damon and Stefan but tonight everything in the Salvatore House was alight. It was as if she had stepped inside a jewelry box that caused people to gape and gawk.

The opulent spacious room was made from stone and rosewood. Fires were already burning softly in the fireplaces. In comparison with her new house this one was drowning in dark and crimson colors with details of gold and ivory.

The polished wood panels on the floor shone with such intensity they reminded one of mirrors. There were crystal vases with roses decorated tables and prized paintings and mirrors in gold Victorian frames hung from the walls.

More lights were strategically embedded in the walls and ceilings. Velvet curtains were adorning the floor to ceiling windows.

The cameras were cleverly concealed of course but were surely recording.

All this excessive display of wealth was nothing but a testament and a reminder of the power her family held.

Caroline could not help but compare and contrast. It was as if the two rival families competed with each other in their luscious presentation of power but used polar opposite colors even in the way they decorated their domains.

The Mikaelson home was encased in mostly black, cream and white colors adorned with gold and silver while the Salvatore mansion had dark red and brown colors along with black and gold. The Mikaelson manor had a lot of marble and granite while the Salvatore house had more wood and stone.

Come to think about it only her bedroom with Klaus, the one she still had to share with him, resembled the colors of her former home; otherwise the coloring patterns of the Mikaelson Mansion were completely different. It was as if someone had tried to turn the bedroom she would live in into a place she would feel comfortable in. A place to remind her of old home. She was sure that it was nothing but a coincidence, however. Who would bother to show her such consideration? In the end, it was obvious that the Mikaelsons preferred the impersonal colors of ice while the Salvatores preferred the colors of fire. Both houses had one thing similar. Both were fortresses and both were packed with guards and goons.

The similarities and differences kept piling up but there was one thing her old home was lacking in comparison. Something Caroline had immediately noticed at the beginning of the evening when she got out of the car.

She used to love the garden's in her old house but now they seemed lackluster. Nothing could ever compare with Esther's gardens. The Salvatore mansion had beautiful yards and sprawling lands of grass and trees. Flowers and plants were blooming inside stone carved pots of all shapes and sizes that resembled art and connected with paths, stairs and fountains. Her former family had even embedded reflection pools carved on the upper level floors and patios that led towards the grand entrance of the house along with the beautiful outdoors lit pools for decoration and swimming.

But the gardens in the Mikaelson home were nothing less than heavenly and terrifying. That place was a maze of forests. A labyrinth of groves. The winter garden and the gardens outdoors created awe in everyone who saw their plush colors and intricate designs that were almost impossible to describe. The colors were so vivid they created a small paradise on earth enclosed in gates of iron that kept the enemies of the family outside and the members of the family imprisoned inside. Because no matter the unspeakable beauty of those gardens and of the house, in the end it was nothing less than a prison like this one. Maybe that was the most common thing both houses and families had. No true freedom aside from the one that only death would one day bring.

All stray thoughts like these vanished early on. Before she had sat next to Klaus at the table, Caroline felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach when Damon took his rightful place at the table. The place of Giuseppe Salvatore. Just over a month had passed since her father had died and they were all celebrating and throwing weddings and lavish dinners. And Damon looked thrilled as he replaced their father at the head of the table.

The massive table was the center of attention under the three heavy chandeliers that hung from the high domed ceiling. It was set masterfully. With candles and roses. Fine linen and fragile old porcelain. Crystal glasses and decanters. Silver cutlery and fancy napkins sewed with the initials of the Salvatore Family. The servants were stationed close to the table ready to serve every guest at any time.

Damon had been the first one to sit at the head of the table in a throne like chair. Mikael occupied the other similar chair at the opposite end. The rest of them and the guests were seated in the beautifully carved chairs with the tall round backs and the crimson cushions. The table had more than thirty chairs.

On Damon's right side sat Stefan, on his left, as order dictated sat his Sotto Capo. Giovanni Montavaro. The Underboss that many secretly called _The Don_ now that Giuseppe died. Next to him sat his wife Laura Di Conti Montavaro. Or as Caroline used to call her from an early age auntie Laura. Her mother's best friend and the only motherly figure she had left ever since Elizabeth Salvatore died.

Next to Stefan of course sat Elena. The proud wife of the Captain that still roamed the nights as a Hunter next to the soldiers and the rest of the Captains. The bloodiest Caporegime of the Outfit. The Ripper who kept his humanity alive only for his wife and sister. The most loyal to Damon, much to the dismay of many that would have preferred him to be at the head of the table instead of the impulsive hotheaded Salvatore. But Stefan, no matter how much he had adored his father and claimed to love her and Elena, in the end, there was one person in this entire world that always came first and above everyone, including his own soul and sins. His brother. Damon. Stefan would fall into fire for Damon. No questions asked. Stefan who now in the shadows was slowly replacing Montavaro and even Giardano for Damon as their brother trusted Stefan before everyone else despite their constant rivalry. A competition that lately began and ended with one name. Elena. Still no matter how much they clashed heads they always remained united. Stefan would kill for Damon. Would betray for Damon. And he had. He had betrayed her. He had said nothing when Damon locked her in her room and traded her to the Mikaelsons. He stood back when Damon threatened to kill her friends and when he dragged her down the aisle.

So when she had sat far away from Stefan, who kept a watchful eye on her all evening, she had been grateful despite the fact she now sat at the end of the table with the Mikaelsons, next to Klaus, knowing that all hell was about to break loose soon.

One thing had been made abundantly clear to everyone from the first moment and more so as the night progressed. Despite their truce and despite her marriage with Klaus they were all treading a very thin fragile line. Everyone was on edge tonight and the table itself was separating the Mikaelsons from the Salvatores and the Heads of the Five Families.

The places they sat had an imaginary divide meant to convey one message. United but not one. There was too much blood to be considered water under the bridge. Just the fact that all former blood enemies were sitting at the same table was already something close to a miracle. Should Nonna Agnes be alive, she would be making the sign of the cross and spitting on the floor.

The allies and high rank members of the Salvatore that were here tonight to make nice with the Mikaelsons for the first time in decades were already going the extra mile. All families had mourned and buried loved ones in this war. Everyone had lost and bled and sworn vengeance. The Italian branch always clashed with the members of the American Cosa Nostra and everyone had marked their territories by the rising numbers they counted in hollow graves.

The Mikaelsons had claimed New York, New Orleans and London throughout endless years of bloodshed while her family had roots to the Italian Mafia and most of the Eastern region of the United States.

Oh, she remembered her history lessons of course. She knew every name and every piece of history each family and each participant had at this dinner.

While other normal children were taught history in schools, she was homeschooled to learn the history of her family and of the Italian-American organized crime syndicate. To understand the importance of family and blood. To learn from a young age what was expected from her. To understand what the Salvatore name meant and what her responsibility to the family was. To learn from early on that one day she would have to marry into the Mafia so to bring more power to her family with a marital union. Of course, back when her devout governess, Agnes, was teaching her how to act and behave herself in this messed up world no one could have guessed that she would end up marrying a Mikaelson. A made man of the Famiglia. It was an insane idea that even a few months ago would be considered to be sacrilege.

Decades ago when the American and the Italian organized crime syndication broke into two major families they turned Chicago into a battlefield for years with no end as her family and the Mikaelson clashed and sought to gain power by eliminating each other. Their feud reached its zenith during the reign of their fathers. Mikael and Giuseppe painted the streets red. Blood red as rubies flowed to every alley and nights became nightmares. The Mikaelson sons grew in power and her own brothers had to become more bloodthirsty and cruel and notoriously ruthless just so to be able to keep up with the Mikaelsons and continue the legacy the Don of the Outfit left them. Now Damon would have to fill Giuseppe's shoes with Stefan by his side and soon enough Klaus would step up as the leader of the American Cosa Nostra known as the Mikaelson Famiglia or simply The Famiglia.

Something that no one had once expected since Klaus was the third son of the Mikaelson family and had lived ever since the age of five in London away from his family. But Finn Mikaelson had died by the hand of Giovanni Montavaro's second and this was why the Mikaelsons had shifted most of their house's power from New York to Chicago igniting internal war. As a supposedly retribution for Finn's death. Mikael of course only wanted to impose his power; Giuseppe's influence had driven him out of Chicago and Mikael wanted to rectify that. The Salvatore's strength was something the Mikaelson patriarch despised for years and Finn's death was what Mikael had been waiting for. A chance to return to Chicago and reignite the war. Many even assumed that it was Mikael himself that staged the situation that led to Finn's death while on the other hand the death of Elijah Mikaelson was still a mystery. One that was of course solved by no one daring to speak the truth out-loud.

Caroline remembered both her lessons and the talks her brothers used to have about the Mikaelsons. Elijah Mikaelson returned from France and was left back to rule over New York with Klaus when Mikael went to Chicago to avenge Finn's death; eventually as the heir of the Mikaelsons, Elijah returned to Chicago as the second in command. Mikael could not allow Klaus to gain power over New York as he had with London so he had cast him aside to New Orleans; and so Klaus ruled over NOLA for years turning it to one of the most feared and profitable territories much to Mikael's dismay. Many had assumed that this was Klaus' Kingdom and his exile up until Elijah's marriage with Elena's cousin, Tatia Petrovini, took place. After Mikael ordered Klaus back to Chicago, so to keep an eye on him, and strip him of all power.

Everyone back then talked about Tatia's affair with Klaus. After her suicide, or at least what was considered to be a suicide, many said that Klaus avenged her death by burying the burned remains of his brother in the cement he threw in the docks. Elijah Mikaelson died in an unexplained explosion at one of the Mikaelson's warehouses and so Klaus Mikaelson, the third despised son, became Mikael's heir. And despite the suspicions over Elijah's death no one ever dared to raise a blaming finger at Klaus, because that would mean death. And not just their death. Klaus was known to kill not just his direct enemies but also those that his enemies knew and loved.

Damon back then had laughed at the idea that Klaus would ever kill for love since as he had said _'that bastard loved no one but himself'_. He had said that Klaus had no loyalties to blood. He did not care. He did not feel.

Klaus Mikaelson killed for power. He wanted the throne and so he took it and back then Caroline's blood had chilled and she had considered herself lucky. Lucky that her brothers, despite their rivalry, truly loved each other and would never turn against their own blood and luckier still that she would never have to meet Klaus Mikaelson.

Here she was now. Sitting at the side of the monster that could not feel or care. Married to the man she prayed to never meet. The man that did not hesitate to kill even his own brother. And as if this was not enough of an irony as it was, their marriage was meant to bring peace. As if Klaus Mikaelson and everyone else from both families even knew the meaning of that word.

As if a fairytale looking wedding was what was always needed. Sacrificing her to the Mikaelsons was the happy end everyone wanted and so the war between their families supposedly had ended and history was put to rest.

Caroline knew as well as everyone else attending the family dinner tonight that this only applied on the surface. The waters beneath the surface were dark and deep and fueled with blood and corpses. The tentative peace the Families were aiming at in order to stifle the new uprising families in Chicago was fragile at best. Everyone knew it. It would take much more than just her marriage with Klaus and even Rebekah's marriage with Damon for this alliance to actually stick. This was why tonight's dinner was also as important as the meetings in the Mikaelson House and her marriage celebration had been.

The gangs and the allies that bowed to each family were sworn enemies of the others for years. And now these enemies were casually eating at the same table. Using their knives only for carving their meat and trying to maintain the degree of civility that was necessary for certain arrangements to fall in place.

Arrangements that would change history.

The security precautions were insane tonight. All of them under the same roof could mean all sorts of danger. Captains and Soldiers from the Outfit were guarding every corner of the house, packed with weapons from head to toe. The Mikaelson's as a sign of faith, had brought only but a few of their people and hardly any weapons. They were surely outmatched but Caroline knew that even with these odds it was not impossible that fights could break out between everyone that attended dinner.

She watched through hooded eyes the surface of the table that extended long and wide between the Mikaelsons and the rest of the guests of the Salvatores. It was so surreal that she was at this end of the table. She was the only link of the truce for tonight. The wedding band on her finger was a brand that made everything possible. So here she was. Sitting next to Klaus, a guest of honor inside her own house. Correction. Her old house. No guns were blazing and no blood was raining. No one was trying to save her from Klaus and his family as they would have just months ago if she was so close to the enemy.

Caroline noticed the look Laura Di Conti Montavaro was giving her as she sat proudly next to her husband. A gaze of understanding and grim sympathy. One that told Caroline that she herself had once walked in her shoes. She was the wife of the Underboss and she had seen and endured a lot.

The Don under the Don, Montavaro. Terror and blood. Giovanni was dangerous and a cold fish according to Damon since the old man barely ever showed emotion but he had also been a close friend of her father; however, despite his cruelty on the streets and the number of his kills, second only to her grandfather, his treatment of Laura Di Conti was surprising. The Montavaros had always been close to her family. Close enough for her to know that in comparison with the other men in the Outfit Giovanni allowed his wife from the first day of their marriage to also keep her paternal name along with his own. He was smart enough to know that honoring the Di Contis would bring him more power. He knew when to use honey instead of guns and Caroline had heard her father once say that Giovanni, despite his brutish ways on the streets, also embraced every bright mind he could trust and he trusted none more than his wife's, Laura.

Laura Di Conti, before her marriage into the Montavaro family, had been close friends with Esther too. Both women seemed subservient to their husbands but Caroline now knew that both of them held power. Great power. Real power.

The only difference was that Montavaro respected Laura. She would not go as far as to believe that he respected women in general but Caroline knew that Giovanni also adored his daughter Dana and that he had once told her that he regarded her as one of his children also.

Having his support, even because he was calculating what her old and new name brought to the table, was a blessing. One she would not let go to waste.

The same could not be said, of course, about Pedro Giardano and his wife Rosetta who sat next to the Montavaros. One more marriage of convenience; but Pedro Giardano, with his always sweaty chubby cheeks and his crooked teeth was nothing like Giovanni and surely Rosetta was nothing like Laura. Pedro tolerated his wife at formal gatherings and let her spend his money as long as he would not have to hear her speak; ironically, many times her gossip could have been useful to Pedro. For as Giuseppe's Consigliere had been widely known as the Spider on the Wall and the one person that could peacefully resolve the disputes inside the family.

Pedro now as Damon's Consigliere bowed only to the Boss of the Salvatore family. He acted as the counselor of the Don and once her father had died all his allegiance immediately shifted to Damon. Completely. The man despite his cunning and elusive nature had no real backbone. He rarely ever killed these days. Even blood made him squeamish. His loyalties were only to the true Salvatore power and to no one else. Caroline assumed that was because he was afraid. Her father always kept his trusted men next to him for years but Damon Salvatore was not Giuseppe.

Giardano knew that Damon would only tolerate him until he settled into his power. After that, Damon would be able to challenge him and find someone more trusted to replace him. Her brother never forgot the close ties Pedro had with Giuseppe and he hated that despite the fact that Pedro was sucking up to him relentlessly. More so, Caroline knew that Damon only trusted Stefan the most and that was not going to change and if she knew it then Pedro knew it also. The Spider Giardano was expendable and he knew that his days were numbered and that was why he was trying to win Damon's favor at all cost. That was why while Damon had locked her in her room before her wedding to Klaus, Pedro had visited her many times and tried to make her see reason. Why he had tried so hard to ensure her compliance just so to soothe Damon. Why he had sent his coquettish insufferable wife to help Elena with all the wedding preparations, since obviously she was not allowed to leave her room. Not that she had wanted to organize that awful charade; and surely Rosetta would have taken over the whole event if Rebekah had not stepped up and took over completely.

Caroline knew that Pedro was aware of everything. And by everything, she meant _everything_. He was always keeping a cool head under pressure and his spies always whispered to him things no one else knew. That was why he was also feared and respected despite being a leech to the power others provided. So Caroline could not help but wonder how much he truly knew. Was he able to detect the silent conversation that was going on under the table as they all ate and chewed Elena's pork? Did he know how to translate the secret glances Mikael and Montavaro had exchanged before they entered the dining room? The silent conversation she had with them as she pretended to give formal handshakes and smile demurely?

Caroline's mouth went dry and she felt her stomach churning at the loud chewing and the gulping sounds some of the men were making as they devoured the feast laid in front of them.

The Capos, the most hotheaded guests in the table, were sitting next to Rosetta Giardano and Elena. Far away from the Mikaelsons but the distance was not enough to hide their sneering and grimaces of disgust. Vinny Varonese had not said a word as he ate in silence and spat out red sauce and while having one glass of wine after the other. Caroline could tell that he was itching for a fight and she thanked God Kol was not here to pick one with him. Vinny was mad. And Caroline only hoped that Damon was strong enough to reign over him and his psycho tendencies.

On the other hand, Frank Berromo had refused to attend dinner by feigning illness but he had sent many of henchmen and his brother Johnny who barely touched his dinner while he surely wondered why he had to play nice with Mikael and Klaus. If Caroline would take a guess, then she would bet his murderous glances towards her side of the table were directed at her husband and her father in law. Johnny was probably remembering very vividly how the Mikaelsons had killed two of his brothers in cold blood and how Kol had seduced and ridiculed his little sister who was then declared sullied and all her marriage prospects ruined before she was exiled to Italy. To a convent! As if they lived in the middle ages.

Unfortunately, Dante Cantovanni, the widower, did come. His lewd gaze was always traveling over everything that was female and able to walk. No matter how young the girl was. No matter how old he was now at his sixty-two. Dante had his own scores to settle with Mikael, however, he had left his knives at home and was civil enough to not provoke anyone. Dante had never dared to raise his gaze to her when her father lived but whenever her brothers or her father weren't present he used to watch her with hungry eyes. Eyes that made her to want to throw up. Tonight he had only cast her one lustful gaze before Klaus' face filled with murder and weirdly enough he backed down and did not dare to cross that line again. Not with her nor with Rebekah either. Rebekah who had been whispered to be his fiancée for a very short amount of time.

Caroline still remembered her joy when after Tatia's death, Elena got married to Stefan instead of Klaus as it was arranged before Tatia died. Caroline was ecstatic that she would not lose her friend to a monster like Klaus and that they would become sisters. But as the engagement between Klaus and Elena fell apart, Mikael in an attempt to reconcile the tense relations and to gain some lost ground had tried to push for a marriage between Cantovanni and his only daughter.

Judging now by the way Rebekah watched Dante with utter revulsion, Caroline could tell that Rebekah had not forgotten how close she had come to a life of misery next to that vile man who had buried his wife Ludovica after he beat her to death and covered her murder up as a boating accident. That should have been enough to feel sympathy for the blonde version of Klaus but Caroline had none left to give. It would go to waste anyway as Rebekah would soon marry Damon and get to know another brand of misery.

The more Caroline watched these monsters trying to make nice the more morbid thoughts choked the air out of her lungs. The world would be such a better place if someone just bombed this place and killed them all in one blast. Or maybe it wouldn't be. Criminals like those that thrived in her family and in Klaus' family were like vultures. Even if the big Crime Families of Chicago were to fall today, tomorrow a new war would ignite. Other monsters would come to replace the old ones and the cycle would begin anew. This was why she was married to Klaus after all. The Lockwood's mysteriously entered the game and wanted to wage a new war and replace the Outfit and the Famiglia with their own people and gang leaders. So maybe better the devil you know would be a much more preferable fate in the end.

However, right now, she was playing the role of the devil herself and sitting next to another devil who just like her remained silent and watched everyone with keen eyes. Caroline realized that Klaus was doing the same thing she had been doing all night. He was keeping his cool mask as he carefully surveyed under his long eyelashes the incredulous sight of the family dinner they were attending.

Ever since she was a child she always hated these formal gatherings but this one was different and she imagined the same applied for Klaus too, even though he looked as if he were in his element. She could not tell if it was meant to be soothing or terrifying. Probably equally both.

Caroline could tell that his elegance and his charm was calculated. Where Mikael was stoic, Klaus was using his charm and his smiles. Tonight he was playing the politician but underneath his civility Caroline could feel the electricity that poured out of him. He was assessing everyone at the table. He was taking names. He was playing the long game. He was monitoring. Spying. Calculating. He was writing down in his head those that were potentially dangerous and those he could manipulate and use to his advantage.

Caroline refrained from watching towards the other side of the table. She turned her head towards Klaus and for some long moments she studied his features. The shine in his eyes as the wheels in his mind kept turning over and over. She wondered how many times he had done this before. How many times he was the calm before the storm waiting until all hell would break loose. And she wondered how could he withstand the pressure when she was ripping at the seams.

As if he had read her thoughts, Klaus titled his head to the side, directing his penetrating gaze to her. In this environment his eyes studied her like they studied everyone else and like everyone else she had things she wanted kept hidden.

Caroline swallowed hard but despite the pulse that throbbed at her neck she forced a smile on her lips before she turned her attention back to her plate.

She watched the food in front of her and took a bite feeling Klaus' eyes fixating on her every move. Yes. This would indeed be a long night.

And even like that. Time was still running out.

* * *

The hour of the midnight council was fast approaching as was what was meant to take place just before the men's gathering.

Pedro Giardano was talking again about profit and numbers and those around him pretended to actually be interested in what he was saying. The Mikaelsons remained passive and cordial but kept a low profile and occasionally Esther engaged Rosetta in small talk. Laura Di Conti Montavaro, Elena and Rebekah and even Caroline commented mostly curtly in hopes that Rosetta would just stop talking. Klaus kept giving her amused glances as he could tell that she hated participating in that sort of chit chat.

Caroline picked at her food and subtly watched the clock; she glanced at the armed guards at the corners and the doors. Without adding the Heads of the Families, their representatives and their own soldiers and Captains along with those Klaus and Mikael had brought with them, Damon had gathered a personal substantial force; no less than a private army in and out the house. Even on less eventful nights there were many Salvatore men surrounding the premises but tonight the place was packed with metal.

From what she saw, the Mikaelsons had one third the amount of soldiers and also two Captains guarding their house right now along with Kol and his men. She knew the exact number and that stressed her more than anything.

She refrained from fidgeting in her chair and forked her salad when she heard one more time Rosetta's insufferable giggle; she did not know if she wanted to scream or laugh or run for the hills. She looked at the guests at the dinner table one last time.

In comparison with her wedding celebration were the Mikaelsons and their allies outmatched her brothers and the guests from her side, tonight the number of Mikaelsons compared to the Salvatores, and those that allied with her brothers, was by far outmatched. Klaus and his father did not object attending dinner with only but a few men protecting them. A sign of good will and of diplomacy since her marriage with Klaus supposedly had settled the blood feud as the code of honor prevailed. The same code of honor that would be cemented once she turned into Klaus' baby factory. She looked at Esther feeling bile rising in her throat but quickly averted her eyes when the older woman's hawk like gaze locked itself with hers. Echoes of Esther's advise rang in her ears and she tried to banish them from memory. The last thing she wanted was to allow Esther to manipulate her into becoming what Klaus and his family wanted.

This was why she hoped that the imbalance of numbers of men would remain true in the next half hour. She was new at this game but the men that played it were not. She had to trust that and make sure she would not get overwhelmed by her fear. Tonight was just the beginning after all.

Finally, she tuned in to the discussion on the table. Mostly because of an interaction between Elena and Rebekah, which was making Damon uncomfortable. This was something she did not want to miss.

"Have you tried the truffle rice yet, Rebekah?" Elena offered in an attempt to warm her up since Rebekah had all night kept a bitter stance. One that surely she would not let go once she and Elena lived under the same roof.

"Is that what that is?" Rebekah sneered and Caroline realized that when Rebekah was not cornering her, it was actually fun to watch her in action.

"Play nice, sister," Klaus tsked his sister, even though his voice was full of delight.

"When have I ever not, brother?" Rebekah exclaimed, feigning shock.

"Manners, Rebekah," Esther scolded and Rebekah straightened her shoulders before a sweet smile appeared in her lips. A saccharine smile that was so unlike her that even Damon almost choked on his wine and Stefan cleared his throat.

"Yes mother. Thank you _Mrs. Salvatore_ ," Rebekah thanked Elena who pressed her lips together annoyed. Stefan gripped his wife's hand over the table and there was something of a collective sigh from the men. Rosetta, however, looked delighted and watched everything with extreme curiosity.

Rebekah looked every guest in the eye, keeping her smile in place. Caroline could have sworn she saw some seasoned killers flinch.

"Your cooking is lovely," Rebekah complimented Elena as she made a point to push away the plate with the rice.

Caroline tried. Tried really hard. But the chuckle that escaped her lips made everyone look at her and she flipped some of her stray locks away from her face.

"It is, isn't it?" Caroline laughed, playing along with Rebekah for the first time since she met her. Rebekah's brow shot up in surprise. Elena looked at Caroline with a hurt expression but Caroline only shrugged and Klaus glanced at her bemused. Even Rebekah smiled at her pleased.

"The pork has been exceptional," Pedro intervened trying to mediate and cool things down.

"Here's to that," Damon mumbled before he looked at Scarred Johnny.

"Has your brother given you the charts I asked?" Damon asked the youngest Berromo in an attempt to change the subject. Johnny, even though he gruffly nodded, remained stubbornly a mute and Caroline saw how Klaus stretched in his chair with fluid grace.

"Be honest now, Damon. I asked for those numbers mate. Not that I do not trust your lot or anything," Klaus revealed to Johnny. His words were sarcastic enough to make Johnny Berromo growl and Vinny Varonese look as if he was ready to pounce. Pedro Giardano pinched the bridge of his nose. By asked Klaus meant ordered -ordered the Don himself. And by trusting, he meant to offend. Berromo's men who stood near the hall watching the dinner from afar started to squirm from their standing attention positions. Ready to defend their Captain and their House.

"You would doubt our loyalty...for _him_?" Johnny finally exploded, his angry words the first thing he had said all night and Dante scoffed, his mouth full with meat.

"My brother will hear of this!" Johnny grit out, his jaw clenched, making the gruesome scar that ran from his cheek right down to his neck stretch more. Klaus pretended to be in distress. Johnny's men took a step forward. Everyone else remained still in their positions.

Esther and Laura exchanged the first knowing glance they had all night. As if they expected this would happen and yet Caroline would have not have expected Klaus to spark this aggression. She would have thought that one of the more hot-headed guests would have fanned the flames.

Unless...Unless Klaus had wanted this to happen and had waited for the right moment.

"Stronzo!" Vinny grumbled and his men yelled along with him. Caroline bit her lip looking at Klaus who seemed to be enjoying this even more than Kol would if he was here. And for the first time since she met Klaus, she could see the resemblance between him and Kol.

"Vinny," Damon and Stefan both warned, but Vinny pushed his chair back ready to stand and Stefan gave him a warning glare; Vinny kept his eyes trained on Klaus. He slid his hand on the knife next to his plate and the derision in Klaus' stance aggravated Vinny more. The Salvatore guards in the dining room were ready to intervene and every other soldier from the other Families -aside from Montavaro's who awaited orders- caressed the hand grip of their guns ready to take charge. Stefan's pointed look was the only thing holding them back but Caroline could see that even Stefan had his gun at close reach.

The few Mikaelson men were far away in the pool house. They would not be here in time.

Caroline tensed when Klaus simply leaned back in his chair in a completely relaxed way that ridiculed Vinny's bravado further. Mikael, for the first time ever since she had seen him, had a hint of a smile on his face.

Caroline felt Klaus' hand on her leg under the table. She looked at him worriedly but she realized that this was meant to be a comforting touch. His hand was steady. Not even a tremble. The closest touch that had transpired between them. The most intimate since their wedding and still there was nothing sexual about it now. His fingers were warm and a solid comfort. The fact that he even cared to take away her fear in the midst of the mess he caused -which _had_ to be for a reason- made her feel lightheaded. She did not know why but her hand slid underneath the table and her fingers interlaced with his. His thumb drew soft circles on her skin while at the same time Klaus kept his daring attention solely focused on Vinny.

"Enough!" Damon exploded setting his glass down with a thud. The wine spilled on the fine linen and the plates shook. Elena seemed to get unnerved at seeing Damon like that but Rebekah seemed rather pleasantly surprised.

Damon cast both men a forbidding glare to make both Johnny and Vinny settle down. A show of authority that made Klaus mouth slip into a mocking smirk.

And as expected, Vinny got up and ignored Damon. Caroline closed her eyes and shook her head incredulously.

"Sit down Vinchenzo," Montavaro said with a low voice and Vinny stilled. Damon was seething now and Vinny looked between him and the ever calm Giovanni. Whatever it was that he read in Montavaro's eyes made Vinny finally back down. He threw the knife on the plate with a clang and muttered more swear words but sat down. Rebekah scoffed earning a look of disapproval from her mother.

Klaus' smirk widened; his expression one of victory and Caroline pushed her nails deep into his palm. Hard enough so to make him wince even though he didn't; his eyes only gleamed with wicked satisfaction. She dug her sharp nails in hard enough to show him her dismay for the stunt he pulled but Klaus' hand did not even move in her hold it was as if he felt no pain. He did not even try to break their connection.

A challenge. This had been a challenge. To test Damon.

A challenge when it came to Damon's fragile power and the fact that Damon talked about this at the table and not in the meeting was also a sign of inexperience. The fact that her brother's men could not control themselves at this table and would even go as far as to even question Damon was proof that Klaus needed. The proof that Damon was a weak leader. And he was dangling that statement in front of everyone effortlessly.

Everyone here was a pawn in Klaus' war game.

"I also asked for those numbers myself before I knew you had requested them too, Klaus," Pedro finally spoke. Ever the diplomat. Klaus' expressive gaze only showed disbelief, despite inclining his head and pretending to acknowledge the truth of Pedro's statement.

Johnny spat to his left and Stefan scolded him.

"It is true, son," Pedro insisted, "there are many variables now that both the Salvatore and the Mikaelson Houses have united. We need the lists. You handle the streets but business is all about numbers," Pedro tried to reason with Vinny and Johnny while Stefan shook his head at Damon. To make sure to restrain whatever reaction their brother was about to have.

"And numbers is what Rosy loves when she gets to spend them on shoes," Dante laughed and when Pedro muttered the same swear words, even Vinny himself seemed to relax, more so when Stefan laughed at Rosetta's outraged protests. One more attempt to make everyone at the table forget what had just happened.

And what had happened was that a fairly innocuous jab -at least on the surface-was able to create such chaos. A breath away from mayhem.

Tension seemed to dissolve but not for Caroline. Not when her fingers were still intertwined with Klaus'. Their wedding bands touched and Caroline immediately yanked her hand away. Klaus winked at her and she pointedly turned her attention to what Rosetta was mumbling about, making sure to ignore him. The ripples of his soft laughter, an echo just under his breath, created a dusty shade of pink on her cheeks.

It was not enough.

What had just happened was not enough to take her mind away from what was coming. She almost stopped breathing when she realized what she was about to do to Klaus he had just done to Damon. This felt like a punch in the gut. Without knowing it, both of them were about to make the same statements. But while Klaus' would ignite a bloody fistfight, hers could ignite war. Tonight. In a few moments. She did not hope that it would be enough to destroy her marriage and allow her to take her distance from Klaus any time soon but after tonight everything would change.

She knew it. She expected it. As Klaus had known and expected what would follow when he pulled Johnny's and Vinny's strings. And Damon had not even seen it coming. And Caroline was willing to bet that her brothers did not even realize the true lengths of Klaus' deception. They thought that it was a simple provocation. One to be expected. But it was not. It was one more step. One more calculated move. One that he made and not his father. Even the fact that Mikael was a decorative piece at the dinner next to Klaus was meant to tell her brothers what was truly happening just under the noses.

Caroline understood Klaus' goal even though her brothers did not. Klaus did not plan just to become the boss like Damon. He wanted to become _Capo di tutti Capi. The Boss of all Bosses._ He wanted to be King and he was establishing his authority at every chance he got. By making all others seem weak. By turning them weak.

The connections of marriage between their families stood on equality and an understanding of how power would belong to both families, divided maybe but still shared. But Klaus did not want that. For what he wanted, her brothers were an obstacle and she was the pawn to run interference and give him the leverage he wanted until he dethroned Damon, took out Stefan, took everything. And who would be able to stop him when their children who would also share Salvatore blood and be the heirs by blood? What would he do to her then?

What boggled Caroline was Rebekah's part in all of this She wondered how Klaus planned to use her. Obviously he wanted her marriage to Damon to happen. Was it just for the children she could have or for more? Was Klaus ready to give more power to Rebekah and turn her into his ally or was she just a pawn too? Or maybe a combination of both. Whatever Klaus' plan was it seemed as if Mikael wanted to interrupt it and make sure that Rebekah remained his daughter first before she would become Damon's wife. He seemed to want her to shed all her ties with Klaus in the process.

Caroline did not know if that was even possible but for now she did not care about it. All she cared for was to gain access and power to the men in Klaus' clan and to push loyal Captains of her family inside the Mikaelson territory. Something that no one had been able to do until today. Not ever. To bring in a private army inside hostile territory without waging war with guns and knives. This was it. Her only chance to make sure she would get to have people loyal to her and only her and to make... a statement. She would not get another.

More so she had to at least make sure Mikael remained her contingency failsafe should she need one. After all, everyone knew that Klaus' biggest enemy and the only man that could actually go up against him was his father and Caroline needed that assurance in her life. Along with everything Montavaro owed to her. Saving his son's life had been a personal blood debt and not just a favor between their families and it was time for her to collect. More so since she knew that Giovanni ached to land a fatal strike to Klaus. His calmness tonight did not reveal his true intentions or his true feelings. His hate for Klaus Mikaelson would not be forgotten just because she happened to marry into the Mikaelsons. Giovanni was not an idiot like Johnny and Vinny. He knew how to pull strings just as successfully as Klaus was pulling them.

And maybe this was her playing with fire or just maybe this could be her way out. Somehow. There had to be a way out of this marriage. A possibility to start a new life.

She could tell that Klaus would not let her go. Not any time soon. He was only stalling when it came to getting her into his bed because he liked the chase and the hunt and he already considered her his. Deep down, past his arrogance and his megalomania, he actually believed he was merciful with her. That was his idea of mercy. To take everything from her and then throw her crumbs and ask for her trust while appearing magnanimous. To start a bloodbath and hold her hand as if she was weak and his to protect. To show her pity. As if she asked for it. As if this was what she was deserving of. _His pity._

Caroline drank hearty gulps from her wine and gripped the hilt of her knife hard. Tonight Klaus would get a taste of her own mercy. The same mercy he had shown her. Let us see how well he would react when someone used his scheming tricks against him. At least Damon had a whole council here tonight backing him up. Klaus had none.

She only wished that she could also stab him in the back with the knife she was holding just to add to the dramatic effect. If only she could use that knife on Klaus and to Damon and to all the men in here that treated her like an object.

"Are you alright, love?"

She was so lost in thought that she had not realized the dinner was once more continuing as if nothing had happened. And she seemed to be in a daze. Everyone would probably think that she had been too upset by everything that had just happened. Too scared. Terrified.

_'Good. Let them think that,'_ she thought.

Caroline blinked away her bitterness and managed to smile. She scolded her expression into a portrait of innocence and nodded reassuringly to Klaus who looked at her as if he was worried for her well being. He had placed his hand over hers and that gentle gesture alone was wreaking havoc on her defenses.

Such a show she reminded herself. He is putting on the show of the good husband. Nothing more.

"Just a head rush," she quickly recovered and uncurled her fingers from the knife, "I had forgotten how strong the wine from the Salvatore cellar is." she smiled apologetically and suppressed a shudder when Klaus stroked a finger over the back of her wrist. She saw the marks her nails had left on his skin. Their touch from earlier was still a whisper on her palm. His scrutiny blazing hot over her and she held his gaze without wavering. Tension made her cheeks flush. She could feel the heat rising on her face and hoped that alone would assure Klaus of the effect the strong alcohol had on her even though the wine did nothing to her tonight.

Damon smirked and it was his voice that carried her attention away.

"Ah yes. Caroline could never take more than two sips of our red," he taunted and even though she was thankful for his intervention that did not change the fact that his tone was grating her nerves. His mockery hit another sensitive spot inside her. Damon was lucky that her priority was Klaus but she would not forget. He was coming next. She might have to side with him for now but this was not over between them. Not by a long shot.

She felt her pulse ticking especially when Vinny and Dante laughed at Damon's jab.

Caroline pointedly took her glass and gulped down some of its content giving her brother a challenging glare while doing it. Stefan seemed to be drowning in a sigh.

"You will come to find, brother, that _your_ wine does not affect me any longer. Many things have changed lately," she ruefully threw back at Damon who looked at her with a hint of incredulity that he barely managed to hide. Klaus gazed proudly at her before casually taking a sip from his own glass.

"I am pretty sure Caroline can easily handle such watered-down vintage now," he supported her even though she half expected him to scold her for her audacity instead of enjoying her banter with Damon who looked aggravated now. Rebekah tasted the wine and dismissed it entirely with a scrunch of her nose. Caroline coughed behind her glass, trying not to laugh when Klaus winked at her.

Klaus' comment would have probably have sparked a new round of hostilities around the table but most of the guests were gawking at them. At the way they seemed to be supporting each other. Their body language. Their reactions. They were all in sync and it was probably unnerving for most of the people here to see this side of Klaus. The more playful, caring and even protective side. Truth be told, it was for her too. Maybe this was part of the game. To keep up the appearances but there was something in the twinkle in his eyes that made the alcohol in her system evaporate in steam. She felt hot all of the sudden but euphoric. It was like a pull. Electric. Closer. And closer.

_'It would be so easy to fall for him,'_ she thought and was taken aback by the way her mind betrayed her. Where did that thought came from?

They looked at each other and Caroline clasped her glass as she glanced at his lips stained with the same color the glittering liquid in her crystal glass had.

She supposed this was his attempt to show her his support, to prove that he meant it when he asked for her trust. He had told her that she could rely on him and only him. Obviously even for things like putting a barrier between her and Damon. Anyone else in his place would not have dared. She grew up with people expecting Damon to rise one day to Giuseppe's place and whenever he taunted her, people laughed with him at her. His digs were always a joke with only Stefan telling him off.

But tonight things were different, Caroline reminded herself and cooled down. She should not forget the reason she was here and what she had to do. Taking Damon's bait because she was on edge was not helping.

Damon was after all the Don of the Outfit now. She was not facing just her older brother tonight but the Boss. The alliance had to hold and she was now a part of the Mikaelson family. Klaus did not seem to mind, of course. If anything he relished in taunting her brothers. He did not seem to respect or even acknowledge Damon's influence and Caroline decided that she had to stop giving him ammunition. She, however, only pointed a direct stare at her brother who was sitting at the head of the table and gave him a subtle nod of backing down. So when Damon snickered and picked up his glass, she did the same. They both drank at the same moment and everyone else followed their lead. A united front despite her marriage with Klaus.

Small talk broke out again at the table and it was not long before Rosetta Giardano directed Caroline's focus to her. After cornering Rebekah, who simply ignored her, and without daring to engage Esther, who seemed to have blended into the shadows for most of the dinner like Mikael, Caroline was now her next target.

"So, Caroline dear, how is married life treating you?" Mrs. Giardano fizzed with her annoying lilting voice while examining her and Klaus with sharp eyes filled with curiosity and skepticism.

Caroline almost let out a long suffering sigh. That woman was the worst gossipmonger of them all. She was dying to unbury scandals and throw mud on everyone. Caroline could tell that she was fervently waiting to be given a chance to spread rumors. True or false, it did not matter. As long as she had gossip to play with. And what better chance than tonight? She was witnessing firsthand how the Salvatore princess faired in the hands of the cruel Klaus Mikaelson.

Despite the malice in that busybody's face, Caroline could also see the envy in Rosetta's eyes as she fixated on the diamonds that adorned Caroline's neck tonight. Much to Rosetta's chagrin, Caroline casually let her fingers hover over her necklace, drawing the older woman's attention there. Caroline knew herself the worth of what she was wearing and her innate narcissism was well fed.

Majestic and stunning. Klaus' gifts had been nothing less than magnificent so far. Aside from the baubles and the jewels she had been officially given as Klaus' wife, some at close reach in her bedroom's closet room and some kept at the safe deposits in the vaults a few levels below the cellars of the Mikaelson home, there were also the personal gifts Klaus had given her during the last weeks.

Just like the gift he had personally wrapped around her neck tonight.

Klaus was...excessive. He kept showering her with gifts as if he was unable to contain himself or balance his generosity. Almost every day, he would go into their bedroom whenever she would not be there and he would leave on her pillow a red rose and a breathtaking jewel. Gold, silver, diamonds. Things that would always make her gasp before they would ignite anger and guilt in her. Anger because he was insufferable at his attempts to woo her and he thought he could buy her affections and guilt because she should not like his gifts, no matter how gorgeous they were.

Maybe Klaus thought he could sweep her off her feet with those presents or maybe those gifts were nothing else but one more brand for her to wear aside from her wedding ring, reminding her to whom she now belonged. One more of his possessions.

In any case no one, and certainly not her or Rosetta, could deny that Klaus' gifts were worthy of royalty and were causing envy and heartache to anyone who gazed at them. The diamonds Caroline wore tonight felt like stars woven over her skin. As bright and as heavy and as glorious. They sprinkled their sublime glow in every direction and there was no comparison to any jewel any other woman wore tonight.

And despite her situation, Caroline could not ignore the satisfied whisper of her vanity that relished in the envy that flickered in the eyes of those that regarded her with fear and jealousy. Her marriage to Klaus had brought her fear and pain and sadness and even though she was caught in the trap of their feud it was obvious to her now that simply by being Klaus Mikaelson's wife and standing by his side, she was feared and respected by all others. She had a voice. Maybe in their world she was meant to have a certain position and to be demure and humble and obedient but yet she had risen above most of those that used to disregard her in the past and treat her as a nuance.

If only this newfound power of hers was not an illusion and it was not coming with such a high price. If only she did not have to fight for her everyday survival despite how there were women in their class who viewed her fate as something to be desired and coveted.

She did not. But she could not allow anyone else to see that. She had to play her part accordingly.

The edge of Caroline's lips lifted upwards until they fell into a blindingly happy smile. The diamond drops of her necklace fell from between her perfectly manicured nails and she enjoyed Rosetta's sour pout before she turned to look at Klaus almost teasingly.

How did married life with Klaus treated her? Like the Devil treats his guests probably.

"Better than I expected to actually," wry humor painted her words and Klaus smirked and took her hand in his. His kiss, as light as feather hovering on air, warmed her knuckles.

"Oh how splendid!" Rosetta croaked before she gave an overly dramatic sigh, "Your wedding has been the talk of the town! The talk of the decade!", she said with envy," It was such a grand affair. I can't wait for you to tell me everything that happed after the dancing. Your wedding night must have been quite exciting."Rosetta's lewd insinuations had some of the men in the table smirking.

"It was." Caroline shut her down and even Klaus observed her directness silently. The fact that they both knew of course that nothing had happened on their wedding night was giving another spin to her words but Caroline refused to allow herself to blush or even look at Klaus now. As she also refused to cower down in front of Rosetta. If it was up to that woman there would still be a showing the sheets after the wedding nights.

"No details to share?" Rosetta nagged and Caroline could have sworn that Rebekah whispered 'bitch' under her breath. No matter what, some things would never change. Rosetta had surpassed by far the boundaries of propriety and she believed that she could do it.

Caroline stared at Klaus and covered his hand on the table. He held on. A reminder to everyone whom they were addressing now. He did not intervene. He let her deal with it.

"What would you like to know?" Caroline threw at Rosetta and pinned her with an unfaltering gaze; everyone froze and looked at her with surprise. Even Damon seemed taken aback by her sass.

Rosetta gulped down. She had taken it too far. Surely expecting for Caroline to be at loss before she would turn it to a harmless joke.

Pedro was rubbing the bridge of his nose again. Caroline did not know if she admired or pitied the old man. It would take quite the brave soul to endure Rosetta for so many years.

"Well-" Rosetta started but a strict voice interrupted her.

"Rosetta mind your manners," Laura Montavaro finally admonished Pedro's wife with a stern tone.

Caroline looked down at Rosetta Giardano who flinched and Elena looked at Caroline startled.

"It's okay Mrs. Montavaro," Caroline eventually took her eyes away from Rosetta as she also removed her hand from Klaus'.

Pedro was reprimanding his wife in hushed whispers and when Caroline saw Laura's sweet face she allowed herself to relax a bit," I do not mind," she mocked but looked fondly at the older woman. Laura had been Elizabeth's friend and always cared for her.

"You should." Klaus spoke at last and no one this time dared to take offense. Caroline's eyes darted at him. She was shocked for a moment. There was a restrained anger to his words. Nothing like the previous irony he had used against Vinny and Johnny. Laura nodded at what Klaus said and Rosetta blanched.

"I apologize on behalf of my wife. Sometimes when the wine is strong she tends to forget herself." Pedro quickly excused his wife and showed actual remorse.

Klaus leaned over the table, setting his elbows on the surface.

"There is no wine strong enough for her to forget who she is talking to," he coldly said and held Rosetta's gaze.

Caroline tried to soothe his cold anger but she realized that this had been an offense to him also. She was not just Caroline anymore. Or even the sweet Salvatore girl everyone wanted to protect or treat as if she was the least important member of the Salvatore home. She was his wife. If anyone disrespected her and more so in public, then he would-

"Klaus-" Caroline tried but Klaus' ire was firm.

"Apologize to my wife," Klaus snapped at the older woman. His voice like a whip cut through air. Everyone felt silent.

"I did not mean to offend I-"

"Apologize," Klaus repeated again and this time his calm tone was a warning. No one in their right mind would ever dare to not adhere.

"Now, Rosetta," Damon backed up Klaus and Caroline blinked. Pedro glared at his wife expectantly as did every last one of the Mikaelsons and the guests.

"I am sorry, Caroline," Rosetta mumbled. Her voice was just a decibel above a whisper. She looked ashamed but most of all she looked scared. Scared of Klaus.

Caroline accepted her apology with a tilt of her head and swallowed hard. Klaus gave one last scathing look to Rosetta who seemed to shrink in her chair. Rebekah and Esther seemed pleased. Mikael kept an impassive stance and everyone else kept their tongue's behind their teeth.

This was not right. This should not be happening. Klaus should not be doing this.

She tried not to have second thoughts or doubts for what would happen in a few moments but there was a thorn in her heart planted now. _This was not right._

She turned towards Laura Montavaro but in truth she stared straight into the eyes of Giovanni Montavaro. There was no going back even if she wanted to but she shouldn't want to. This changed nothing. Her predicament was still the same. So why did this feel infinitely more difficult now than it had just minutes ago?

"Well Rosy was right for at least one thing. The wedding was indeed a lovely affair. The Mikaelsons do know how to throw a party," Dante mentioned, trying to defuse the tension and for the very first time in her life Caroline was relieved for the man's intervention until she remembered who was talking.

People started talking about her wedding and Caroline tried her best not to look at Klaus. She watched as Dante Cantovanni kept eating everything at sight.

Her stomach turned and she noticed that Rebekah was watching the man equally repulsed if not more. Dante Cantovanni was widowed for the last ten years. It was common knowledge that he had many mistresses but he had not taken another wife ever since Ludovica's death. He was over sixty and Caroline saw how Rebekah cringed every time she glanced him. Mikael a few years ago had tried to sway him to their side by offering her hand in marriage but Cantovanni was loyal to her father and refused. Or it was not loyalty at all. Giuseppe was known to hold leverage over the men who served him.

Back then, just as she turned fifteen, she remembered she had dreaded the possibility of taking Rebekah's place in an similar arrangement but her father fortunately had not even considered such a thing. Either because she was too young or because he cared enough for her and did not want to give her to a man that could easily have been her father or her potential future murderer. She remembered when her mom still lived she had promised she would make sure that her father would give her to a man who would treat her with respect and would care for her. Back then, Caroline did not understood the meaning of the word 'give'. She did not understand that even at the age of ten, her fate was already written and she was a possession to be given and passed by the hands of her father to the hands of her husband.

Back then, she had smiled with gratitude and was happy and dreamed of a gentle white knight. A prince to love her and put her in a beautiful tower. Well she did get the tower. The gilded cage she was stuck in was as beautiful and as cold as a fortress. A castle for a trophy wife to be held in. As for her prince, well she got a King instead but his colors were all black and instead of respect, her heart was drowning in anger and hate.

A man that would treat her with respect her mother said. Tonight Klaus had demanded respect for her as he had every time anyone from his family caused her discomfort. As he had the night of their wedding. He never wavered. He stood next to her in a way that Dante Cantovanni and men like him would have never even bothered considering. Women died at the hands of men like Dante and Mikael.

Mikael's words echoed in her mind again.

Women also died in the hands of men like Klaus too. Something that Klaus seemed to be making her forget lately.

Caroline looked at Dante Cantovanni realizing that if it was up to Damon and not her father she could have ended marrying a disgusting man like him. Ice flooded in her veins at the thought before she turned her head to the side and took a peek at her husband. Klaus had quite the reputation and he was a force to be reckoned with but at least she had to admit that he was young and... hot.

Well not hot... Just good looking. No, not that either. Who was she kidding? She was not blind. Despite her best efforts to not notice she could not help but admit that Klaus was hot as hell and she assumed that were traits even Satan must have because it really was unfair. Dimples and sandy hair were not meant to be given to people like Klaus. Having an angelic face and a demon's heart should not go hand in hand.

Why was her mind betraying her like this? Why did it matter? It shouldn't matter. It didn't matter.

Caroline shifted in her seat as she had to remind herself all over again of what she had to do tonight. It was simple and easy and all she had to do was throw bait. She could not back away from the deal at the last moment and she surely could not trust Klaus' charming words or his acting skills. Just because he was sex on legs and made everyone dance to his tune, it did not make him any better than Dante Cantovanni. He was worse.

Yes, Klaus had not forced himself on her and he was trying to woo her like they were stuck in the regency era or something. His old fashioned courting sometimes was cute and funny but Caroline knew that it was just a facade. Just like what he did earlier with Damon and Rosetta. He didn't care for her. He never would.

She had to keep reminding herself what that man had wrought in her life. He had taken away her freedom, her choices and her life. She had been forced to marry him and he was using her as a step towards power. She nothing but a foot stool for him and a tool for playing his power games and she could not just hold on to his promises when it came to her protection. Respect was a running river that had no depth. It was not only a play for sake of appearances.

After all, this was not their initial deal and he had cheated her family into _giving_ her to him without having any intentions of honoring their pact. Mikael had pledged for her safety. She had to remember that. He was meant to be her protector and Klaus was meant to wait in line for the throne. Damon was meant to interact with Mikael and Klaus was meant to obey them and not the other way around. She was supposed to have Damon and Mikael as her shield against Klaus, should she ever need one, and it was not such a stretch to believe that she would.

Klaus wanted it all. With no strings attached. So if he was allowed to break the deal their families forged in blood and oath then so she could be allowed to re-forge it.

A little traitorous voice sang in her mind that if she wanted to be honorable to the initial deal of their families and hold Klaus to it then she should be too. She should be sleeping with him and should be sharing his bed. But spreading her legs for him was not something she would have ever consented if she was not forced to walk into that chapel. They all kept trying to blur the lines but she had to keep her mind sharp and remind herself that she was fighting for herself here and not for the families. She had rights. And she had to defend them. Klaus defending her honor because she happened to be his wife was not the same. It was degrading in the end as everything else in this marriage was. If there was anyone demanding respect for her name then that someone should be her. And as Klaus had just said she should take offense. She should demand respect. And she would.

"Caroline looked very beautiful in her wedding dress," Elena's voice rang in her ears. The small talk was continuing but Caroline felt as if she was at the end of her patience now.

"Just like our mother looked in the photos of her wedding to father," Stefan added, looking at Caroline with a sweet expression. Almost a longing. For her to smile back at him. To forgive him.

_'Fat chance,'_ Caroline thought bitterly and refused to even acknowledge what Stefan had said. It was as if he did not exist for her tonight. She twirled the glass over the table slowly watching the last drops of the wine spill inside the crystal walls.

It was then that she heard it. Just the hint of a sound no one but her paid attention to.

_One._

Her hand stilled. The glass stopped turning.

_Two._

Giovanni Montavaro tapped his knife on his plate two times before setting it down. Caroline tensed, inhaling sharply. This was it. The signal she had waited for all night. It was as if her body would get in sync with that signal no matter what noise screamed next to her.

She glanced at Montavaro, who inclined his head. A shadow of movement not even Klaus caught. But Mikael did and hid his smirk behind his knuckle.

It was starting. It would not be long now.

"Yes, so we've heard," Laura spoke, with a tone of carefully veiled regret, "we wished we could have been there too. Unfortunately, we were in Italy those days."

It was an excuse. Everyone knew that. Montavaro would never step his foot in Mikael's house. Not even for the wedding. It didn't matter to him how it looked that the Underboss of the Outfit was not present at her wedding and had not even sent an official representative in his stand. He had not opposed her marriage with Klaus and was present when the contracts were signed a few days before the ceremony but his absence from the wedding had been a message that despite the treaty and the union of the Families no one should forget. There was a dire solemnity in that message and Damon, despite being the new Boss of the Outfit had been unable to control him. Not even Pedro's intervention changed Montavaro's decision to not attend that night. Should Giuseppe have been alive Giovanni would not have dared to act this way but her dad was dead and Damon was new in his seat of power and nothing like their father. It was no wonder that many secretly called Montavaro the Don these days.

Maybe this would serve Damon right one day. To have his position usurped by his second. But with Marianno's state this was not something that would ever happen unless it was Stefan that would step up.

"I understand," Caroline smiled, her good manners shining," we sent the invitations out at such short notice," Caroline said with an even tone and Klaus raised an amused brow at her diplomacy.

She knew where this discussion had to end. The long way around. But still it felt so strange to be able to speak of her wedding in such a way when in fact it had been such a dreaded ordeal for her. One that bound her to Klaus and still haunted her dreams and nightmares, "I missed Dana mostly and of course your son at the ceremony," she carried on without letting any of that depressive emotion that threatened to choke her show. She was stronger than this.

"How is he?" she asked, making sure to lace her words with enough care that even Klaus next to her narrowed his eyes.

"Alive, thanks to you," Giovanni said respectfully and Klaus cast her a questioning gaze.

"You know Marianno was shot a few years ago don't you, Klaus?"Caroline openly challenged him and Klaus lifted an eyebrow. It was as if the air thickened in the room.

Caroline was sure that Klaus remembered all right. And from the perverse wave of satisfaction that rolled off of him in waves, Caroline was willing to bet that he was also damn proud for what he had done.

She still remembered Laura breaking down at the hospital and Dana crying in her arms. Klaus had shot Marianno in retaliation for Finn's death. Marianno was barely made back then. Just hardly out of his teenage years.

Giovanni had said to her father in that dimly lit corridor of the private hospital her family owned that he was certain that Klaus' shot was deliberate.

Klaus never missed. He always went for the killing shot. The head or the heart. A reminder to what happened to those that dared go up against him. The lucky ones he would kill fast. Those that were not lucky would have to withstand torture at his hands first before he would throw their corpses on the steps of their families' houses.

But he didn't do that with Marianno. Klaus had killed all of Marianno's men and when he left his body on the steps of one of the Montavaro's residencies ,Marianno was barely breathing. He was gravely wounded but he was breathing.

Marianno later on had said that Klaus and Kol killed his men -for which he was still mourning even after the years that passed - and had then toyed with him and left his survival to chance since as they had said they were not that close to Finn anyway so they threw his life on the dice by avenging the brother they barely loved.

This had never been about Finn. It was about the Mikaelson name her father had said back then Mikael had already been brutally killing without discrimination Giovanni's nephews on the streets and any man of the Montavaro family he could get his hands on. Either they were high in the ranks or simply underlings. And he was doing that long after he killed the man responsible for Finn's death.

But it was Klaus that delivered the final blow.

Montavaro knew this to be a great offense to his name and honor and not just a strike at his heart. They had targeted his son but they had denied him an honorable death. They left him without his legs. One of the bullets shuttered Marianno's spine and no matter the surgeries and the treatments, they all knew he would never walk again.

Paralyzing Giovanni's only son and leaving Montavaro without an heir was something that forever haunted both Laura and Giovanni and established Klaus' power. It created more tales of darkness and danger around his name. So much that people now begged for a clean kill at his hands.

Caroline still remembered the day the flowers Klaus had sent to the hospital wishing Marianno a fast recovery arrived. Her stomach had twisted and she wanted to throw up.

Raw stark emotion blasted inside her at the memories. She could not understand how Laura and Giovanni were able to sit so calmly and patiently at the same table with Klaus tonight.

"Marianno's blood type is rare. Like mine," Caroline informed Klaus, watching him for a lingering moment. Expecting to see even a hint of remorse in the blue of his eyes. She saw none.

"Caroline came to the hospital and donated blood," the frost in Laura's voice was as chilling as the glint in her husband's eyes.

"She actually snuck out from our security to do so," Stefan said almost proudly even though everyone looked at Klaus gravely. This hate would never go away no matter how many marriages and truces the families signed.

"Was he a friend of yours, love?" Klaus finally asked and Caroline almost gaped at him. This memory evoked no sentiment in him but somehow this revelation had a spiked a flash of jealousy in him.

Caroline shook her head and forced one more painful smile on her lips.

"His sister is," she clarified but kept her tone elusive. Something that Klaus immediately recognized and she saw how his lips turn to a thin line. His eyes became slits; it was as if he was examining her honesty. She only gave him a shrug. Truth was she had grown up believing that she would one day probably marry Marianno. It was the dream of their parents once; at least it was before he was shot. Of course, the fact that he was gay was not something Mariano ever shared with his family, aside from Dana, and in the end it would not have mattered. He would have gone through with the wedding if it was asked of him and then she would have had to deal with the repercussions because if her brother forced her to marry a man like Klaus, he would do the same for any other groom in question. The only way out of marrying Marianno would be to reveal his sexuality to her family but she would never do that to him. In their world it could mean death.

"If it wasn't for her generosity my son would probably be dead," Laura said. Blazing fire burned in her words despite her cold exterior. Emotion choked Caroline.

"Maybe it would have been for the best," Dante said as he kept chewing his rare stake and Caroline tried not to grimace but Giovanni had no reaction. It was only Laura's features that turned to a mask of unbearable pain but she said nothing herself either. Vinny and Johnny were pointing death glares at Klaus who remained unaffected. Not even a flicker of emotion broke through his calmness.

"My sister, the everlasting saint," Damon's mockery as he played with his glass earned him a glare from Stefan. Caroline felt Klaus tensing next to her. She could tell he was about to snap at Damon. The fact that along with Klaus, Damon had also asked from Rosetta to apologize to her earlier did not change their strained relationship. Damon was always protective of her when things became serious enough. No one could protect her from his spite, however. They never got along despite sharing the same blood and name. Damon, just like she was used to before her marriage, only cared for Stefan. And now, he also cared for Elena too.

Caroline's laugh was full of derision.

"Hardly, brother. I only did it for our family. Dear friends are family also. We always look out for each other in times of need."

She kept her chin up. Everyone looked at her now. Her tone showed her uncompromising will when it came to this.

Her declaration was a hidden message to those who knew how to read it. Giovanni Montavaro nodded at her and Caroline noticed that Klaus was observing their interaction with sharp eyes.

_'It was a little too late for that'_ she thought.

"Let us all drink to that," Pedro mediated for the thousandth time tonight and so they all followed his lead.

Damon drank from his wine while watching Caroline with the same curiosity Klaus was looking at her with too.

Caroline ignored them. She only put her glass back on the table with an elegant move before she addressed Laura Montavaro again.

"I last heard that Dana decided to travel. She sent me a card from Paris," Caroline said. Of course no one was about to mention that Dana was allowed to travel with her aunt and heavy security guarding her so to escort Marianno to one more orthopedic neurosurgeon in Europe.

Laura nodded with a bittersweet smile and Rosetta took the opportunity to move past what had happened between them and despite the scolding glare her husband cast at her for daring to talk again, Rosetta started babbling about how much she loved shopping in France. Esther agreed with her in an attempt to rebuild the bridge between them and forget the earlier incident and even Elena pretended to be interested by what the old woman was saying and joined the conversation. Even Stefan laughed and spoke about his honeymoon with Elena in Paris and Chartres.

Caroline felt Klaus's soft touch against her strained back. She looked down at his extended arm between their bodies before she stared at him in question.

"Have you ever been?"Klaus smoothly whispered, leaning towards her side. His previous suspiciousness had subsided long enough for his whisper to get tainted with a seductive timbre.

"France? No," Caroline dispassionately admitted.

Despite the wealth of her family she had lived a very restricted life. As the daughter of Giuseppe Salvatore, she always had a target on her back and was always cloistered. The only place she had visited and that was a kid was Italy and she had mostly spent her vacation inside their mansion in Palermo always heavily guarded. She used to burn with the idea of traveling all over the world. Seeing new places. Trying different things. Indulging in other cultures. But she had learned from early on that it was impossible. The only time she had been able to break her chains anchoring her to the prison her family had created for her was when she had managed to go to college In the end, they had taken that away from her too.

"I'll take you. Anywhere you want. I do owe you a honeymoon trip after all," Klaus drawled, his words laced with promise and shimmering intensity. More so with longing. His breath, so close to her ear, made her heart skip a beat. His accent was doing weird things to her sanity and her own breath actually hitched slightly when she saw his face light up at his proposal; as if he truly wanted to show her the world.

She knew that he was using his charm for a reason. This public affection had to be for a reason. And for him, this was nothing new but this closeness was still sending shivers down her spine. His fingers warmed her clammy back, slightly curling against her skin. It was as if the world was becoming smaller and finding a new axis in its center. Them. Everything and everyone else disappeared.

She knew that those hands had killed. Had sent men to their graves and others to wheel chairs. Klaus was bathed in blood and still his touch was always challenging the last tethers of her emotional restraint.

Caroline's throat constricted violently. She knew this to be a lie. One more empty promise and that hurt more. It hurt because she hated this hope blooming inside her against all reason.

"You wouldn't be able to find the time," she argued, returning to her pragmatism, knowing that soon he would not even want to anyway.

"For you, I would. I will," his voice carried an honest pledge before he crossed the last distance between them and kissed her on the cheek softly.

Caroline blushed, the candlelight on the table blurring between her long eyelashes. It was as if he was breathing her in. She could not think. She had only felt like this once before. When he was slowly undressing her the night of their wedding. It was intimate. Magnified. A simple kiss on the cheek and yet-

"It looks you've married a romantic, Caroline," Rebekah sniped. She could have thrown cold water at her as well. The moment was ruined and Caroline reached for her wine as Klaus withdrew and glowered at sister who wore her most innocent expression.

Caroline brought her glass to her mouth with a shaking hand, hiding her turmoil behind the crystal on her lips. Klaus was right. When had this wine turned to such a watered down disappointment? She remembered it to be stronger and now it did nothing to wash down the fire burning her.

She had to concentrate and stay on track. _'Focus Caroline,'_ she mentally scolded herself but Klaus 'next words almost made her choke on her wine.

"I am all for romance, little sister," Klaus playfully retorted and Caroline set her glass down, unable to stop herself from incredulously rolling her eyes at him. She then noticed that everyone, but most of all her brothers, were in awe of her interaction with Klaus. It was as if they had discovered a new miracle or something.

"Talking about romance," Laura suddenly intervened after looking at her husband first. "How about you two?"she asked, smiling at Rebekah and Damon, "when are we expecting to get your wedding invitation?"

Esther's eyes snapped to Laura Di Conti Montavaro. Caroline could tell that Esther knew that Laura would never ask something like that. Not in that tone. She was not Rosetta. And Laura's exchange of looks with Giovanni proved it.

"In a couple of weeks more or less," Damon shrugged as he did not even care. They had not even made any preparations. It looked as if Damon expected to only wear a costume, go to the alter and get drunk before and after the ceremony. With all the things that kept happening in the business, no one really cared for weddings. The preparations would probably happen at the last minute as had happened for her wedding with Klaus.

Rebekah seethed and reached for her glass. Esther's austere silent warning was the only thing that stopped Klaus' sister from lashing out with her usual snippy remarks.

Caroline swallowed down her laughter. Damon Salvatore would have to live a cursed life with Rebekah Mikaelson at his side. That thought somehow made Caroline relish the miserable future that awaited her brother. Klaus and Kol doted on Rebekah and seemed to adore her but even they seemed as if they could not stand her for extended periods of time. How much more Damon who could barely tolerate himself.

"I am sure Caroline would not mind helping you with the preparation's, Bekah," Klaus' proposal earning him a seething glower from his sister.

"Aren't you a lucky one mate?" Klaus joked and Damon responded at his jab with an acidic smirk accompanied with a grumble that had Vinny snickering.

"Oh, sod off," Rebekah cursed and Klaus laughed. Esther sighed tiredly but Mikael remained unresponsive. He only watched...her as she found the right opening she was waiting for.

"I would love to help but... I have been actually thinking about this and I believe that rushing the preparations is not the best thing to do," Caroline cut in smoothly with an innocent expression, internally grateful that finally Laura got the conversation to the point they wanted.

Rebekah's eyebrows shot up. Caroline did not have to see from the corner of her eye Klaus' reaction. Whenever his eyes were on her she would feel it. It was as if every instinct of hers was on alert.

"We are talking about my brother's wedding here. And Rebekah is now my sister too. They deserve the best and I should know because when it comes to organizing such events I am the best," Caroline stated smugly. It was a fact after all. Everyone knew it. Damon and Stefan and everyone else in here knew how much she loved organizing parties and celebrations so this did not seem out of character for her.

Vinny let out a long sigh. Caroline glared at him and he rose his hands up in surrender. A much different reaction than the one he had when he was reaching for the knife to gut Klaus. Caroline directed her glare to the other side of the table. Vinny along with Johnny and even her brothers looked scared and discomforted.

They were probably remembering how she had ordered them and everyone else around when they were throwing parties for the Families. Those were the only times where she had free reign to do whatever she wanted and everyone else had to obey her whether they wanted to to or not. And, oh boy, they did. So much that everyone was trying to hide or run away whenever a ball or a party or any kind of dinner celebration or gathering was about to happen.

"As I was saying," Caroline continued breezily but with an authoritative tone, "I know that everyone is expecting a grand wedding but with this narrow frame we can hardly organize everything in time. And no matter how beautiful my ceremony and the celebration afterwards were," she recalled with an acerbic smile she threw at Rosetta who squirmed in her seat, "I regret not having the time to work on the details and make it my dream wedding," Caroline lamented and saw how Klaus cocked his head towards her.

"Rebekah's does not have to be that way. So I have been thinking about it and-" she paused feeling Mikael's and Klaus' sole attention bathing her, "what if we followed the more traditional route and threw an engagement party first?" she proposed.

Rebekah's back straightened up at once. Surprise went through her and for the first time her facade of nonchalance cracked.

"What a lovely idea!" Rosetta squeaked and Caroline held back her smirk. Stefan and Damon looked taken aback. Klaus went very still next to her.

Pedro peered at Damon and then he cleared his throat.

"I am not sure if our timeframe allows it, Caroline," the man started but was cut off by Klaus' sister before he could continue.

"It should be," Rebekah declared, "this is still my wedding after all," she asserted, dead set on not allowing anyone to sideline her. There was a breath of hope for her in Caroline's suggestion. Caroline knew that feeling all too well. Right up to the moment she married Klaus she was praying and hoping for an intervention. For someone to stop the wedding and call the whole thing off. No one came for her.

" _Our_ wedding, Miss. Mikaelson," Damon corrected Rebekah sardonically.

"Semantics," Rebekah waved her hand dismissively; her sharp smile made the impressive blue in Damon's eyes glint up even more. Rebekah looked more like Klaus now than ever before as the ruthless smile on her lips grew bigger. She was sharpening her nails for war and she was not afraid to shed blood. She looked as lethal as any of the made men in this house. Headstrong and refusing to bow down to anyone, Rebekah managed to somehow intimidate everyone.

"Rebekah-" Esther began.

"No it is not," Caroline corrected as Rebekah narrowed her eyes.

Esther's reprimand was intercepted by Caroline' unfaltering intervention. Rosetta actually gasped at her audacity but Esther just like Klaus only scrutinized Caroline.

Caroline however only focused on Rebekah and if there was any shard of gratitude towards her for her suggestion to stall the wedding with Damon it was obviously gone now.

"Your wedding is important," Caroline pressed on in all seriousness that clearly unnerved Rebekah but Caroline looked at Damon too, "for both of you. You don't get to have another," she twisted the knife in harder, enjoying the way Damon's face seemed to pale. He had to marry someone he did not want to marry too. While he desperately loved another. A despised marriage to match a forbidden love, "so this needs to be done right," Caroline concluded, unable to keep the condescension at bay.

Damon's fingers turned into a fist next to his plate, mirroring Rebekah's reaction.

"Truth is that I have missed my family," Caroline complained with a fake pout. An easy gesture, easily letting the lie slip from her lips," and it will be an excellent opportunity for all of us to meet and arrange Damon's and Rebekah's wedding. Surely no one should mind now that we are all one family." She dared everyone at the table to argue. Her face lit up with a big innocent looking smile.

She was hardly lying in any case. All of them were after all...One happy Frankenstein family.

"I am afraid," Klaus' said, his voice controlled, "that Pedro Giardano is right, sweetheart. We do not have time for such luxuries."

His hand underneath the table gripped her knee. A warning.

Caroline pivoted her body on her chair. To solely face him. With no fear. No hesitation. And even though her stomach tightened painfully at the warning she read in Klaus' features she held her chin high.

"There is no need to rush things," Caroline insisted, sucking her lips in her mouth as if she was thinking of what Klaus said," We are not two families anymore after all. _We are one,_ " she repeated, mocking him, making sure that only she and Klaus would translate the underlined meaning of her words. Caroline saw how the color of his eyes turned a shade darker.

His words from earlier that night in their bedroom at his house rang between them. A deafening sound. His fingers tightened around her knee.

" _Our families? And here I thought we were one family after our marriage." Caroline could not hide the mockery in her voice and Klaus hummed._

" _You and I are," he promised her._

Klaus pressed his lips into a thin line and Caroline grinned without guilt as she yanked her leg away.

She looked at the people at the table again expectantly.

"Rebekah and Damon can spend more time together before their wedding and I get to throw a party!" she clasped her hands excited.

It was not that hard after all. To act as if she was happy and thrilled to be the event planner again. All she had to do was commit to her goal. And she could do this. She always did before Klaus and so she would after him. Even if she had to pretend to care about such things when her life had taken such a turn.

"I didn't get to enjoy the preparations for my wedding," Caroline blabbered on," and with the mourning for my father I could hardly even enjoy my own wedding." She pouted more with a sullen look, swallowing down her irony. As if she would enjoy her marriage with Klaus otherwise.

She then sat more comfortably on her chair. Leaning back with feline glace. In the same way Klaus had when he had scorned Johnny and Vinny earlier.

"I am sure that between us we could find a solution to please everyone," Caroline proposed beaming. She met Klaus' gaze and held his stare. He was becoming angry.

Good. Angry was good her father had once said. People were more prone to mistakes when they were angry and Klaus' anger was always a fury and it was now starting to brew under the surface.

"My wedding is not one more party for you to throw, Caroline," Damon bit out and Caroline snorted.

"Really? Is it not?" Caroline provoked Damon ironically.

"Care what Damon meant-" Stefan started but a deep voice stopped him.

"It is not," Giovanni Montavaro chastised and Damon smirked pleased watching her in a 'told you so' kind of a way but Caroline only arched an eyebrow at him when Giovanni continued speaking.

"It is a testimony of commitment to us all," Montavaro said and Caroline sat back and decided to enjoy what would come next. Klaus was on the edge of his seat now. No longer distracted by wrongly assuming that he had her favor. Montavaro's involvement now surely worried him the most. Maybe she was not to be taken seriously by the men in this table but Klaus new that Giovanni was another variable. And everyone knew that Giovanni Montavaro never spoke or acted without aiming to gain something.

Well, he was speaking now.

"Truth is that the families siding with us won't welcome the new Don marrying so quickly and more so a Mikaelson after Giuseppe's death," Montavaro finally said, backing her up and Caroline held back her smirk when Pedro's head snapped towards him. Even the Spider himself was at a loss," The mourning period has not yet passed and we already had the festivities of Caroline's wedding before her father's body even got cold in the ground yet. Only days had passed," he reminded everyone. Disappointment painted his words. One that ran deeper than just regretting the time her wedding was held. If it was up to Giovanni her wedding with Klaus would have never happened.

"Well if old Giuseppe's body did not roll in his grave with the one wedding I do not see why it would for the other," Dante mumbled and Rosetta tried not to giggle.

"Maybe it did. We should check to be sure," Vinny chuckled earning a glare from Stefan.

"No one will disrespect my father's name again. Especially under this roof," Damon proclaimed but not with much fervor. His eyes twinkled with amusement. Any jab against Giuseppe always seemed to please him but the forced coldness in his voice had the desired effect and Vinny only bowed his head and kept his mouth shut.

"Giuseppe's memorial service is upon us," Giovanni austere tone forced seriousness to the table and Johnny crossed himself making Caroline scoff. Sure. Kill first, pray later.

"It is a matter of tradition," Montavaro declared, "none of us except Caroline has married without a traditional contract of betrothal first. Blessed by the priest before the marriage."

The gleam in Klaus' eyes told her enough but as he opened his mouth to object Mikael beat him to it. Finally speaking for the first time tonight. Only so to belittle Klaus in front of everyone.

"Are you planning to fight tradition now too, boy?" Mikael's jab almost made Caroline flinch. There was no humor and the way he articulated the last word was so degrading. Rebekah paled but Esther remained unmoved.

A muscle ticked on Klaus' jaw but he said nothing. Mikael's and Klaus' wills crashed against each other silently. Klaus might have undermined Mikael's power but his father was still the Boss of the Famiglia and in public that was what mattered. For many it was the only thing that mattered in essence despite Klaus' poking holes in the old man's power. Caroline realized that she had to find out which people still supported Mikael in the Famiglia. That knowledge could turn out useful in the future.

Still there was a part of her that ached at the way Mikael treated his son. She didn't know why but this did not sit right with her. Damon and her father always clashed too and Damon hated him but they at least remained civil in front of others outside the family. Mikael never hid his hate for Klaus and Klaus had to grew up in a family where he would have to take every humiliation without retaliating. Not when Mikael was the Boss of the Famiglia. Not when Klaus was the third son. Not when no one would support him.

Like tonight. No one would. She wouldn't either. That thorn of guilt she had felt earlier shifted again in her heart. Just a little bit. Enough to throw her out of balance.

"Our world is built on traditions," Montavaro pressed, "nothing and no one could ever change that."

This was a direct message with Giovanni subtly acknowledging Mikael. Giovanni was now looking straight at Klaus. If anyone would know what happened between closed curtains and where the shift of true power between Klaus and Mikael now lay it would be Montavaro. Despite everything, she had not dared to tell Giovanni the truth. She had to speak with her brothers first but she was sure that he knew. He was the one and only person that was able to know things before Pedro Giardano himself. Pedro who now bore a calculative expression. Montavaro wanted to use the element of surprise for tonight. Caroline was certain that she had not included Pedro in his plans and surely he had not informed her brothers either.

Caroline swallowed down the breath she did not know she was holding in so far.

"Our families are already united," Caroline joined Giovanni. Her words came out softly but her tone was even despite the turmoil that raged inside her. Klaus slowly turned to face her. Her skin stretched over her bones. She did not take her eyes away from him as she did what she had promised herself she would. She twisted the knife deeper. So why didn't it feel good? "and we could take our time to make the wedding a grand celebration. I am sure Rebekah would want a beautiful big wedding and this can take time. Months even," she knowingly said and Klaus licked his lips. Danger and...pain was wafting around him now as he was taking in what she was truly doing," but in the mean time we could just throw a party for your engagement instead."

"Are you sure this is what you want to do, Caroline?" Klaus asked her. Gently. She understood his question even if most people in the table were not meant to.

Her eyes momentarily burned before she nodded. A sour smile appeared on Klaus' lips. It was as if the air around them was swirling violently. Choking the oxygen out of their lungs.

"Oh, but this is a great idea! Keep your business talk for yourselves but wedding and engagement preparations are things that belong to us!" Rosetta's shrill voice was pumping with enthusiasm but the world had fallen silent.

Klaus looked disappointed...defeated even. As if he had expected more from her. And he had. He had, without caring at all for what she had expected from him.

Caroline felt as if gravity was pulling her down.

It was as if there was an imaginary thread between her and Klaus and it was starting to tangle all around them. Pulling and pushing them far apart and closer at the same time. Only screaming thoughts and whispers were left in the between.

"Maybe we should discuss this another day? Maybe after the meeting," Stefan offered and Caroline finally removed her gaze from Klaus'. She felt colder somehow.

She watched the pleading gaze Stefan was giving her. As if he was afraid for her now.

_'Idiot,'_ Caroline thought begrudgingly, trying to blink away the burning from her eyes.

Caroline inhaled deeply and somehow the scent of the food and of the wine mixed with Klaus' cologne from their close proximity suffocated her.

Her breathing hitched slightly.

"I understand that my marriage with Klaus had to happen fast but due to the mourning and Damon's rise it had to be kept relatively modest and my father's death is still fresh," she let out calmly.

Damon seemed pensive now. Elena was watching curiously as Stefan watched Caroline, with caution," but a wedding is such a... joyful occasion," Caroline told everyone, feeling something in her break. It should be a joyful occasion.

Everyone on this table knew that most often than not it was not. It wasn't for her and would not be for Rebekah who had fallen silent. She was watching Klaus with uneasiness as if she could tell that she should not push him tonight.

Weddings and funerals in their world didn't mean the same as they did for others. For some a funeral was a much happier circumstance than a marriage. The death of one meant power for another;

Everyone at this table craved power. For different reasons. She did too if it meant ensuring her safety and even a chance at freedom.

Damon always craved power too. As much as he hated their father. _'Just like Klaus,'_ Caroline though ironically.

"We can even use the engagement party... for establishing Damon formally as the new Head of the Salvatore family."

Damon narrowed his eyes at her bluntness and at the way she intervened in matters that no woman should have a say at but Pedro looked at Giovanni that nodded back at him. The tide was shifting. The men from the Salvatore side were now paying serious attention. This was an opportunity to establish more power for their side instead of sharing it more with the Mikaelsons.

"Mrs. Giardano could also help me. I always loved the parties you hosted in your house," Caroline told Rosetta.

Goosebumps were skittering down her body. Klaus fingers were caressing the edge of the table in front of him. Slowly. Patiently. His eyes on her.

"Thank you, sweetie. It is so rare that I get to host such events nowadays," Rosetta nagged with a nasty voice while casting a deadly glare at her husband.

"Uhm," Pedro cleared his throat, ignoring Rosetta completely, "truth is that Caroline could be right. Damon has not only inherited Giuseppe's power but also his responsibilities. As the Don he must abide to certain traditions," he peered at Montavaro who gave him the permission to continue.

"Klaus is not the Boss of your Famiglia so you could afford to skip certain obligations," Pedro said with a shaky voice addressing Mikael who now smirked pleasure as did Cantovanni and most men at the table. One more veiled insult towards Klaus.

Why did the little thorn grow more?

Damon on the other hand looked both pleased and peeved. Caroline understood that he did not appreciate her stepping in how she was but next to him it was Stefan that looked horrified.

As if he had finally understood what was happening. And he must have had since his phone was now on the side of his plate and he had just read an incoming message. Elena was asking him what was wrong but Stefan tensed up and sent a questioning gaze to Montavaro.

"What do you think….father?" Caroline finally asked Mikael directly. Calling him father while doing so.

Silence.

Unnatural silence fell over the whole room as Caroline faced Mikael himself. Mikael who had chosen to remain mostly neutral for most of the night. Because Klaus was pulling his strings and because he was pulling Klaus's strings just under his nose. With her help.

Mikael looked at Klaus with a satisfied smile.

"I agree...daughter," he then said and that word made her feel extremely uncomfortable but she kept her face straight.

Mikael sat up straighter in his chair. The other chair that resembled the one Damon was sitting on. "I think it is an excellent idea. There are some adjustments that have to be made of course but I am sure we could take care of that ...in due time," Mikael's voice as he directed his words at Klaus was pure menace, filled with contempt.

More minutes of silence followed his words as Mikael rested his elbow on the armrest of his chair and drank from his wine contently.

No one here, but her and the Mikaelsons knew that Klaus was forcing Mikael and Esther to leave Chicago. Not just Chicago. He was forcing them to leave the continent. Making sure that Mikael would have to shed more of his power as he would be forced into exile. This is how Mikael and Esther had called it in the winter garden. An exile.

An exile that would now have to be postponed. For months. Until the wedding at least. Something that Klaus wanted to ensure would not happen.

"With Salvatore Giuseppe dead," Giovanni's spoke quietly, "I realize that men like me can only rely on the honor of those that share the same code of honor and age."

Like him and Mikael, Caroline understood. Like Cantovanni and Giardano. The last elders of their houses. And Montavaro would rather accept the devil Mikael was than give anything to Klaus Mikaelson. He still owed him a debt. Retribution for Marianno.

"Unfortunately the newest generation does not share our understanding," Giovanni sighed, earning a sardonic nod from Mikael. Pedro advised with his gaze to Damon to not say anything. So did Stefan.

Klaus's nostrils flared. His perfect armor of control was finally starting to crack. He threw a warning gaze at his sister who was obviously caught between her brother and father.

"Damon is right," Klaus finally said and Damon looked incredulously at Klaus. That was probably a phrase he never expected to hear from Klaus. "This wedding is his and Rebekah's," Klaus continued," they will have to decide what they want."His every word tightly controlled, tamed the beast underneath.

"I am pretty sure they will make the right choice, my love," Caroline told Klaus sweetly.

The way Klaus now looked at her would have had made men running for their lives but for some reason she was not afraid of him. She never feared him in that way. Her fear ran deep but facing him in this way was not something that troubled her. Maybe she was an idiot or maybe she had been accustomed to people like him.

_'Liar,'_ a voice taunted her inside her head. There were no people like Klaus.

Still she did not back down. She could smell the fear on Stefan from the other side of the table as she opposed Klaus next to her. Maybe fear had its own scent or maybe it was a sixth sense people like her had in response to living with that kind of fear in their whole lives. It was like a brand. It marked. It scarred. It became part of you. And you could recognize it anywhere.

Caroline always saw and felt fear when people were near Klaus. Stefan had that fear now. Fear for her. But she did not as she smiled at Klaus, betraying his trust while doing so. In the same way he had betrayed her trust too she had to remind herself.

"After all which girl does not want an engagement party and more so a memorable wedding?" Caroline teased and Rebekah looked at Klaus. For the first time since Caroline had gotten to know her, Rebekah Mikaelson looked...out of her element.

However, when Mikael craned his head just a tad towards her, Rebekah gave Klaus an apologetic glance before she stared down.

"We girls do enjoy the preparations and I was denied that for my wedding since it all had to happen so fast," Caroline ran her tongue over her lip," Rebekah helped with all the preparations for my wedding so she now owes me... the chance to repay her," Caroline smirked, running her fingers over the lace patterns on the intricately folded napkin next to her. Ever since her wedding with Klaus, Barbie Klaus as Damon called Rebekah, had been a nightmare to her.

_'Time to repay the favor,'_ Caroline thought almost sadistically.

"It will be so much fun for me and Rebekah and give us an opportunity to bond. Wouldn't you agree...sister?" she asked Rebekah who now was looking at her with hateful scorn.

Both of them sharing flashes of the same memory.

_**Four weeks earlier.** _

_"Did you like the arrangements tonight? I hope everything was according to your taste," Rebekah said as if she cared what Caroline thought._

_"Yes, very much so. You did a beautiful job, Rebekah. I am only hoping to return the favor," she said dryly._

_The two girls stared at each other. They both understood perfectly well each other's intentions._

_"Maybe we should go back," Caroline said, wanting to get away from Rebekah. She started regretting leaving the celebration and even though she was smiling, internally she didn't want to spend any more time competing with the girl. She already had enough problems._

_"Actually, you won't have to Caroline, you have to get ready for your…wedding night"_

_Caroline took a sharp breath while her face lost all color._

_Rebekah motioned to the girl to come closer. When she did Rebekah smiled sweetly._

_"Caroline this is Anna. She is working for us,"_

_"Hello Mrs. Mikaelson, " the girl said smiling._

_Caroline tried to catch her breath. She didn't want to show Rebekah or anyone any signs of weakness, but she couldn't do this. She felt her body turning rigid and her heart slowing down. Each slow heartbeat was more painful than the one before._

_"Hello, Anna. It's nice to meet you," she whispered without being able to look at Anna's eyes._

_"Anna will escort you to my brother's bedroom so…_ _you can get ready_ _," Rebekah said with a knowing smile._

_Caroline slowly glared at Rebekah unable to contain her disgust._

_"Thank you Rebekah, for everything. And just so you know, I will_ **_never_ ** _forget your kindness…_ _sister_ _."_

_With those words Caroline followed Anna unwillingly all the while feeling Rebekah glaring at her._

Their staring match continued and Caroline watched Rebekah's vexed expression almost with glee. She knew that if nothing else would work then her competitiveness alone along with her need to prove that she would not back down from a challenge would do the trick.

"I would love that, really," Rebekah clipped, looking Caroline straight in the eye and Caroline beamed.

Bingo! Rebekah just sided with Mikael.

At her side Caroline could feel the way Klaus turned rigid, however she was dead set on seeing this through.

"And Damon could get to know his fiancé better in the mean time. Right ...brother?"Caroline quipped with her most bright and... bitchy smile; One she had not used for quite some time. She then glanced between him and Elena causing Damon's Adam apple to bob up and down in his neck.

Damon shifted uncomfortably in his chair, casting a subtle glance at Elena who was silently staring down at her plate.

"Let us not get ahead of ourselves, Caroline," Stefan interjected, oblivious to the paleness that had taken over Elena's face.

_'Moron,'_ Caroline thought.

Pedro politely coughed.

"I have no doubts it must be exciting to organize a wedding," he side-eyed his wife with an exhausted expression, "but we should not forget that this is first an alliance and-" Pedro started but Klaus rose his hand on the air.

"We should also not forget that it is Damon who is Boss", Klaus said and drops of sweat dribbled down Pedro' forehead as he almost frantically watched Damon who was now smirking, "I know it hard for some people to accept but this is the new age...and despite what any remnants of the old eras that are soon to be forgotten suggest, your Don can surely decide for himself," Klaus responded, the insults he had gotten in created an electrifying atmosphere all around," Or does he need assistance?" he easily threw the ball at Damon's court to bait him.

A heavy pause followed and Caroline watched her brother carefully as Damon leaned forward. This could all go downhill now if Damon took it all too personal and considered his influence being undermined and tried to prove differently by acting irrationally.

"Nice try. You'll need a bigger bait than that, Klaus," her brother clicked his tongue and Pedro sighed in relief. Even Montavaro looked pleased with Damon. Which was a first.

"I could find one easily, mate," Klaus assured him with arrogance and Caroline realized that both Klaus and Damon were similar. The liked danger and provoking others. Even friendly banter for them could end up in a bloodbath they would surely enjoy participating in.

"I am sure anyone could find more than one," Rebekah said with exasperation and the edge of Damon's lips tugged upward.

"Feel free to try anytime you wish, princess," Damon used his most suggestive tone that Rebekah brushed off without caring at all. Esther seemed disappointed but Rebekah's stance only seemed to amuse Damon more.

There was a groaning noise from Cantovanni who was wearing a dull expression. As if he would rather be anywhere else than here right about now.

"All this back and forth with weddings and what not has become grating," Dante tiredly piped in, "Elena, darling, be a doll and call for the desert," he grumbled but when Stefan glared at him he only added, "please."

Caroline could not help but grimace at Dante's sight which seemed to be the only way to find common ground with Rebekah who obviously shared the same disgust for the old man picking his teeth with a knife.

Elena rested her hand on top of Stefan's to assure him that she was not offended before she smiled at everyone on the table.

"Are we all finished with the main course?" she asked politely.

"I doubt it," Vinny snickered with a knowing look and even Johnny seemed amused despite the remaining tension. Elena's smile remained in place as she got up and went for the kitchen to talk to the chef.

"I hope its chocolate," Dante rubbed his belly eagerly.

Caroline watched as the servants started removing the used plates from the table. She kept her head upturned making sure to smile to the people who served her and maintain her composure.

Spiders were crawling all over her skin now curling their limbs around every inch of her. She noticed Klaus playing with his wedding ring. Slowly turning it around his finger with his thumb. It was almost hypnotic.

His gaze was like a brand on her.

"So...what is the verdict after all? I am dying for an engagement party," Rosetta yapped and Cantovanni snorted annoyed for having the same discussion brought at the table again.

"I think that Caroline's brilliant idea," Mikael articulated," will be an interesting subject for our private meeting after dinner," Mikael suggested with a deceptive croon. Caroline saw as Klaus' movement with his ring halted just for a fraction of a second. The blood coursing in her veins lost its warmth.

"Of course. Let us not forget that your marriage is also an alliance and not just a ….event. I am sure the best date will be decided," Esther diplomatically tried to avoid any more confrontations as Elena returned and soon enough the household servants started bringing in the desert.

In the middle of the commotion on the other side of the table separate discussions seemed to be happening at once in whispering tones. Her brothers were talking as were Pedro and Montavaro. Rosetta was chuckling loudly as something Dante was telling her covered the discussions of the men.

There was an aura around Klaus. This was the only way Caroline could describe it. It was as if his rage was becoming tangible. It was giving birth to darkness. He had gone still. Utterly and lethally calm while she appeared to be the same way by his side even though her heart was pounding.

She saw now how a shaken up Stefan was exchanging words with Damon that looked solemnly astonished.

Montavaro inclined his head at Stefan before he turned his attention to her and mimicked the same reaction this time for her benefit. She gasped down a sharp intake of breath when she saw recognition stirring in Klaus' eyes. It was as if he was finally waking up from the slumber she had put him in with her fake acceptance when it came to trusting him. He surely had connected the pieces from before but catching on to the direct signaling with Giovanni Montavaro, out of all the people on this table, was something different.

Something coiled inside Caroline's stomach when she dared to take a peek at him. Something akin to guilt. Something she immediately strangled and forced on a leash. Their truce was done and a chill rippled down Caroline's spine.

Klaus finally moved. It was as if this movement pushed time into motion once more. He leaned towards her, offering her a piece of his desert. A moment meant to look tender, cheesy even, but as his body came closer Caroline felt the lack of emotion.

She was facing the nightmare of the legends now. Chocolate melted in her mouth when she accepted Klaus' offer. He was watching her closely. Following every movement of her lips. Every breath. Searching for any sign that would give him the answers he wanted. As if he was trying to invade her senses. Her very mind.

"What are you doing sweetheart?' Klaus demanded. A harsh whisper just beneath his breath, it warmed the side of her neck. His lips had curled to a gentle smile. A seductive one to make everyone else consider their interaction as...safe and inconspicuous flirting even though by now almost everyone knew that it was not.

She locked her gaze with his. Ice and fire clashed. His blue eyes seemed almost black now. Fathomless.

Despite the fierce anger that lit both of them from inside out, Caroline mastered a carefully expressionless visage. She twisted her body closer to him. Their faces almost touching. She could not turn away. Something told her that neither could he. The whispers, the murmurs, the sounds from the table vanished.

Caroline then smiled. She could not remember ever evoking this hard of a smile smile in her entire existence. She knew he was waiting for it. For her to devour his 'good will' raw and spit it back to his face.

And so she did.

_"I know that this isn't easy for you,"_ she said softly, _"but if we don't try this is going to be even more difficult for both of us"_ she repeated his words, the exact words, from their wedding night. The night he had the upper hand. The night he did not touch her but declared her his possession.

Klaus' frowned at her before he snapping back as if electricity had hit him.

Champagne started flowing. Filling tall crystal flutes.

Caroline took a sip allowing the bubbly iciness to break through the heat that seemed to spread into the rush of her blood like liquid wildfire. She did not care that she was mixing red wine with champagne.

She only knew that if Klaus believed that this was the main course soon he would realize that this had only been the appetizer.

She might not have been allowed to yield a gun before but she knew war was waged as much at formal events as it was outside of them. The first part was set in motion and the second was coming. She looked at the clock again.

Close to midnight.

Giovanni Montavaro pushed his chair back. Despite his years, there was still elegance in his lean body. He picked up his glass of champagne demanding everyone's attention.

Everyone picked their glasses.

"When Giuseppe first mentioned his idea for marrying Caroline into the Mikaelson family, I considered him to have gone insane," Giovanni began his toast.

"Didn't we all?" Cantovanni mumbled, earning some soft chuckles from all around.

"And when Damon honored that deal I feared the worst. Too much bad blood. However, Caroline tonight assures us that she has been treated...well," he acknowledged."And here she is. A grown woman. A lady of her own right fighting for our traditions. Trying to unite us. Supporting us. Supporting her husband," he raised his glass higher, continuing his old fashioned speech that more and more was turning into a lecture.

Montavaro sounded just like Mikael had when he publicly spoke at her wedding table, declaring to everyone that she was his daughter and would be under his protection. Mikael and Giovanni might have been enemies for years but they were made from the same cloth.

"Maybe it is time to close old wounds. Maybe even build new bridges. You have one more son. I have a daughter," Giovanni addressed Mikael who gave him a curt nod.

Caroline tried not to flinch. The idea that there was any kind of day where Dana would be given to that lunatic Kol was making bile coil inside her stomach. Thankfully she was sure that despite all pretenses, Montavaro would rather burn his whole lineage to the ground than unite his blood with Klaus' family.

"I would be honored to invite your blood into my family," Mikael smirked and Caroline almost gawked at the double meaning of his words. Klaus' eyes turned to slits.

"But for that to happen...for me to even consider it," Montavaro paused before an actual smile appeared on his face. And Giovanni only smiled when his finger was caressing his gun's trigger, "some concessions would have to be made. So far only our side has given you tribute. Giuseppe's only daughter," Giovanni pointed his glass to the tribute. Her.

"The Don's sister," Pedro quickly added, making sure to include her worth in comparison to Damon's power. It was as if Mikael and Montavaro, men of the old world, had sidelined Damon and Klaus completely. One more statement.

Of course the fact that they talked about her as if she was a trophy to be given as tribute was only normal and a fact for them.

She gripped her glass so hard it almost cracked.

Montavaro gave a respectful nod to Damon, accepting Pedro's words, before turning his attention back to Mikael. Before he could speak, Klaus' voice ricocheted in the room.

"You speak of concessions when we are ready to give my sister to your side. The daughter of the Boss of the Famiglia to your leader. Traditions and all," Klaus blatant irony was enough to break bones and shutter minds.

Rebekah face contorted in fury but no one bothered to notice.

Despite their antagonism, Caroline saw herself in Rebekah. They were bargaining her away as they had her. They were acting as if she was a commodity to be given from one man to another and she had no say in that. Caroline could see that Rebekah's glass was at the verge of breaking too.

"This is why we would both need to see how this truce is actually treating us on fair ground. We would need to see how both sides operate...from within," Giovanni concluded, enunciating the last word and Klaus' father conceded with a bow of his head. Easily. So very easily.

Klaus head snapped to Mikael.

"A talk to have in the council in a few minutes. No reason to bother the lovely ladies with such boring conversation," Pedro quickly lisped.

"Indeed it would be...dreadful," Caroline pointedly said, making Klaus slowly turn to face her.

Her words were accompanied by the sound of a soft bleep and the subtle echo of vibration.

Klaus's phone. Soon to be joined by a similar sound from Mikael's phone. Mikael completely ignored it, his eyes gleaming sarcastically.

"You should probably check your phone," Caroline suggested and Klaus narrowed his eyes as he reached for his phone.

The screen's light illuminated Klaus face when he read the incoming message.

Caroline could have sworn that Klaus had gone silent for a long moment but in truth, only seconds had passed. Still a lifetime stretched in those seconds, every beat of passing moment crucial as the truth unraveled in front of the blue eyes who watched the message in the bright phone screen.

Klaus grip around the phone tightened. Just barely. A ghost of movement as his muscles controlled the grasp so not to show his surprise and worry to everyone that watched his reaction carefully. Caroline saw it however and somehow she also felt it. A jolt of shock but most of all anger. A flooding river of it threatening to burst out of the dam. Klaus instantly rose.

It was a tangible emotion that passed from him straight to her. Like a shot in the dark. The flash of light from a bullet ready to shatter through bone and flesh and blast away blood.

And despite all the assurances she had gotten from Mikael and Giovanni and despite her own unyielding resolve when Klaus' eyes momentarily glazed with rage and when he went still Caroline spine became as unbending as an iron ruler.

One steady breath and her husband next to her quickly texted back before he gracefully put his phone back into the pocket of his jacket and angled his head towards her. The murder she expected to see in his eyes was missing, however. Klaus was utterly and lethally calm as he surveyed her. Something turned inside Caroline. Something she immediately strangled and forced in a leash.

Something so similar to guilt adding more thorns she quickly plucked out.

Their truce was done and a chill rippled down Caroline's skin. Like bugs crawling over a web that shrouded her. A web that trapped her into becoming the meal for the beast that now was waking up. Still no matter the promise of danger looming over her, Caroline held Klaus' stare. And did not back down. Not even at the briefest of nods he gave her. The one that only told her one thing. _Challenge accepted._

There would be no more trust to give or to be given anymore. Clear beyond any shadow of a doubt, there never was.

* * *

_'Montavaro raided the southeast storage. I can't get to it. Salvatore men are gathering outside the house right now. Armed.'_

Recognition dawned in Klaus' eyes when he read Kol's message. But it was not until he realized that Mikael did not even bother to check his phone that the picture finally cleared for him. This whole night had been...a distraction. From start to finish.

_'Bloody hell!'_ he thought. It was all staged. The whole thing was a set up.

In order to ensure his stay, Mikael had betrayed them and allied himself with his enemies using Caroline...his Caroline...as a bridge.

Montavaro's men had raided one of his gun stores and he could do nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not when it was him that had given them a free pass.

_**Four weeks ago** _

_"Stefan is at the docks as we speak, he is arranging the last details. The shipment is arriving tonight," he said while looking at the elders. This was a first step. Damon just gave information that he would never share it the past._

_It was then that Klaus took charge. He straightened his body and looked directly at Damon ignoring all others including Mikael._

_"As a gesture of good will you can place it in our storages." His voice held a finality that provoked most of the men in the room._

_Damon's smirk was a rival of Klaus's. People started whispering, all of them divided until Mikael spoke out loud surprising them all._

_"It is needless to say that our storages and everything else that belongs to us will be always at your disposal from this day forward."_

_Klaus nodded and Damon accepted with a nod of his own._

Klaus bit his tongue so not to swear out loud. They were expecting for him to lose his temper. To lose more face tonight. Mikael was publically the Boss but this was a direct hit to him and he could not retaliate or even prevent it. Not tonight, certainly, and surely not with force.

This was show of power.

_'Salvatore men were gathering outside his house.'_ Kol had texted him.

_'Armed.'_

There had to be more to it.

Icy fury ran in his bloodstream. So cold that it turned to flame and boiled his blood. He felt his fingers tingling. Itching to kill something.

All night had been a bust. An ambush. From Rebekah's wedding getting rescheduled for months later in order to tie Mikael like an anchor to him and straight to the raid and the siege of his house.

He should have seen it coming from a mile away and he hadn't. There were signs. He had missed them. Completely.

He got...distracted. By a beautiful scent and a smile.

Caroline.

She did this.

She used Mikael as much as he used her. It was not just her showing where her allegiances lay. It was more. There had to be an endgame he was still missing. Whatever it was ,Caroline tonight drew her line in the sand. It was over.

All that he had tried to build with her. It was all over.

The scent changed now. It did not recall longing. It did not soothe him inside. It smelled like gasoline. Gasoline ready to combust with the whisper of a lit match.

His fingers twitched. Caroline's eyes were trained on him now. And his anger turned to restless fury. Such a savage fury that gripped him tightly. Tight enough that his control kicked in.

_'Stay put.'_ Klaus texted back and pocketed his phone in the inside of his suit jacket. He inhaled Caroline's sweet fragrance once more. It excited him so unbelievably before and now it violently cut him deep inside.

He watched her.

She was so very beautiful. The light from the candles bounced off her face, giving it an almost golden hue, highlighting the green of her eyes even more.

They were treading in a very volatile place now. He was staring at the face of adamant determination now. She was not afraid of him. She showed no fear as she rejected everything he wanted to give her. As he stabbed him in the back. The face of a traitor.

He licked his lips slowly. Trying to regain his control. Falling for Caroline's distraction meant giving her the upper hand. He could not allow this to continue.

He could pretend as if this was youth and inexperience but it was not. Caroline knew what she was doing. She was obstinate and uncompromising. She was fully aware of the consequences and more so, she did not regret them.

"Trust should be build upon...equal compromise," Montavaro continued, a gleam in his eyes as he inspected Klaus' every move from the moment he picked up his phone, "should it not?"

That son of a bitch believed he could exact retribution. For his son. From the looks of it one of Caroline's intended suitors before his...accident.

Granted he had sent that kid straight to a wheel chair but he never granted killing shots to barely made men who were practically kids and thirsty for blood when they did not even know how to properly use a gun.

Marianno was marked for death the moment Finn hit the ground but he was an idiot coming into Kol's territory and then throwing himself over one of his men as if he would rather die than see that soldier hurt. He had lowered his defenses, opening himself to the mercy of stray bullets. He was still clutching on to that soldier's dead body for dear life when Kol had found the opportunity to drag that bleeding boy straight to him.

And he could not have afforded to look weak.

Not when Mikael had given the order. Not when his brother had died by Montavaro's men.

It was not as if he was that close to Finn but he was still his brother.

Still, he knew from the start that if Marianno survived he would never be able walk again anyway. He took an opportunity. One to save the kid's life while also showing cruelty and disobeying Mikael without losing ground. So the stray bullet became known to the world as a deliberate shot. His shot.

That kid's fate would serve as a reminder of what happened to those that dared go up against him and his family.

A reminder Montavaro never forgot and neither did anyone else.

"Compromise," Klaus replied, his voice veiled with threat, "depends on a kind of trust and only if it is worth it," he directed his answer straight at Caroline, "if it is...true."

Her face turned up to his and met his probing gaze.

He had seen fragile men and strong men retreat when they had to face him after knowing they had wronged him but Caroline was wholly simmering with intensity from head to toe.

"It is… if it is given freely," Caroline's underlined message was clear.

He gritted his teeth. She would never...compromise. She would never yield and if this night proved anything it was that she was not only contemplating his demise. She was ready to strike. In cold blood.

There was a mean streak running underneath that beauty and if anything it was giving her light another kind of glow. One that gazed upon turned men to stone.

"To trust," Giovanni Montavaro toasted.

"To trust," joined a symphony of voices, except his and Caroline's and everyone saluted and drank from their glasses.

Klaus mockingly titled his glass towards hers before they drank too. The taste of champagne turned to acid on his tongue. Her gaze was burning above the rim of her glass as she titled her head back. The diamonds shining on her neck and wrist.

"It seems we have plenty to talk about but personally I would rather finish Elena's desert first" Pedro tried to defuse the tension for the thousandth time tonight with his incessant voice.

"I hope you liked the cake," Elena smiled awkwardly while she kept cautiously watching the scene at the table. Stefan next to her was a guarded presence.

Despite the anger that was strangling him, Klaus almost shook his head. He could not believe he had almost ended up being married to that doe eyed frail girl. One who both Salvatore men were moronically drooling at.

She was nothing like her cousin. Or like...Caroline. She had no backbone. No voice. No fire. He would have been bored with her from day one but at least a weakling like her would have been easy to handle. She would have never betrayed him like Caroline did tonight. And should she had even tried, she wouldn't have succeeded.

His life would have been easier. Caroline had been tempting him. His stark desire to seduce her had blinded him. She had turned him... weak.

_'Damn her,'_ he thought, fighting down the screaming voice and the sensation of suffocation as Caroline's perfume taunted him. As Mikael's mocking glares reminded him even more of her betrayal.

It was happening now. As he sat at this table doing nothing. Bound.

His eyes roamed Caroline's profile, her silhouette wrapped in silk and his gifts.

Because of her. All this happened because of her.

She did not need his protection, she had decided. She wanted to see him on his knees. Pure menace she was and for the first time he felt as if he was facing a worthy opponent.

"Who doesn't," Damon joked along Pedro for finishing the desert, eating from Elena's cake, "after all we have time to speak business at the council meeting in a while,"the 'Don' said, authority coloring his voice and for the first time tonight, Klaus could finally hear that it was the Boss talking and even Caroline gave him the barest of nods. One that Damon not only accepted with a smile but with a small toast of his glass towards hers.

Yes. Indeed. He should show gratitude to his wife who sided with him after all and maybe his authority would stand more chances of blooming if he did not depend so much on Caroline's machinations and Montavaro's games under the table.

Caroline and Montavaro were working together. With his father. Klaus emptied his glass with one gulp and another servant came to re-fill it.

"Oh, is it your mother's recipe sweetie?"Rosetta wheezed.

"Yes, Mrs. Giardano," Elena answered kindly.

Klaus heard the interaction and watched as Caroline played with her desert. He was not a fool to believe there was even a hint of guilt inside her for what she had done but despite everything that happened Klaus wanted nothing more than to drown Rosetta Giardano in one of the fountains outside.

Ever since she had the audacity to offend Caroline his insides were screaming at him to tear the Spider's wife apart. Piece by piece until her grating voice would be silenced.

This was one more reason why Pedro was tentatively throwing fearful glances at him after his wife's indiscretion.

The moment he had felt Caroline stiffening next to him was the moment he had wanted to defend her honor. To protect her. It was the moment he realized that this was not happening for the first time.

Damon was treating Caroline as if she was a nuisance and people seemed to be following his lead. It was going far further than simple sibling discord.

The way Damon was indirectly, and many times with his rude behavior directly, inciting a hostile environment for Caroline in this house and was giving a free pass for his people to taunt her was making him see red.

And Caroline had decided to side with ...her brother! To betray him for Damon Salvatore!

What angered him even more was that he was still mad with these people for insulting Caroline even in the slightest. Anyone daring to do it again and he knew that he would direct his anger straight to them.

Caroline's hurt feelings should be the last of his problems and he should not even think about it and yet he still did. When he should relish in her pain, he wanted to kill those that caused it.

Even now.

Because she was his he tried to convince himself. And whoever insulted her now was sending a direct insult to him, Klaus tried to defend the way he felt. It was because she was his possession. His wife. It had nothing to do with her as a person.

That would not be possible. Not for a man like him. Not when she had crossed him like this.

She sided with Mikael and her head was still attached to her neck.

With Mikael. She had sided with Mikael.

It was just starting to set in. She was not even realizing the danger she was in. She did not even understand what she had set in motion.

_'Worse,'_ a little voice echoed in his mind.

She did. But she did not care. She did not care either for what she had caused or for...him.

She did not care for him.

And after the anger the hurt came. In waves.

"The dinner was indeed superb, Elena. I am sure the desert will be the same," Klaus heard his mother praise Elena and smiling at the younger woman.

Maybe it would have been preferable. Marrying a woman like Elena. Locking her away with his mother and moving on with his life.

He had even protected Caroline from his own mother and this is how she repaid him.

"I am glad you like it, Mrs. Mikaelson," Elena accepted the compliment with grace.

Rebekah snorted and Esther gave her a scolding shake of her head but he could not help but agree with his sister. This whole dinner was tedious as much as Elena was.

"Superb hospitality too," Rebekah mocked with a saccharine voice that made him tense.

Caroline had used Rebekah too in her attempt to stall an unwanted marriage getting her to side with their father instead of him.

"And we would like nothing more than to return the favor. I would love to invite you all to our house for lunch this weekend. I am sure Caroline would love to be your gracious host as my son's wife," Esther proposed and Klaus saw how Caroline smiled. A smile that did not reach her eyes.

"Oh...I would love to," Caroline warmly accepted and the sound sounded so fake to his ears that he almost smiled. He was certain that she would prefer to actually gauge out her eyes than host a dinner at his house as his wife and truth to be told so would he. Especially after tonight.

He looked at the clock on the wall as did everyone else. Five minutes to midnight.

He resisted the urge to check his phone. He knew already that the missing pieces of Caroline's little game would get solved in the council in a few minutes.

Montavaro would claim his concessions and Mikael would accept them. And if he had to keep up the appearances, he would have to accept getting undermined.

"Then it is settled," Mikael said and the edge of his lip curved up as he pointed a satisfied look at Klaus before he rose his glass again, challenging him to refuse to fall in line.

Klaus grit his teeth and reached for his glass.

All the glasses were raised. Incessant blessings and more fake toasts followed. Vows blessed in blood and promises for ties between families and yet Klaus gripped the crystal so hard that he had to control his strength to not break the glass in his hand. Silence covered his mind like a black shroud, drowning out all noise. The only thing that lingered was the rage.

The rage and Caroline who was sitting next to him. Peaceful as if she had not just unleashed hell on him.

He had been so careful ever since he had buried Elijah's memory to the shadows. Every step calculated like the inner workings of a clockwork mechanism. He had not shed all this blood for nothing. He had not orchestrated everything down to the last detail just to hit a dead end. He had been patient. He had waited. He even let go of the memory of the woman he once loved and anchored himself to Caroline to gain more leverage against Mikael. He used the Triad to open the path for the Lockwood's to enter his domain only to depower Mikael and force Giuseppe's and Damon's hand and out of nowhere a _college student_ decided to play the cloak and dagger game and one up him at his own game and more so she...succeeded. Damn her, tonight Caroline succeeded.

Postponing Mikael's leave was a threat that could set back his plans for years. Mikael had to die in foreign ground by natural causes. Soon.

And now, Mikael would remain here and grant more power to Damon and Montavaro just so to depower him.

Everyone at this damn table had plotted against him. Backing Mikael and throwing him in a corner. Montavaro had craved retaliation for years and from the looks of it Mikael had made a very profitable deal with him.

One that Caroline not only knew but also put in motion. Her ties with Giovanni ran deep it would seem. A little girl barely out of her family's protective cocoon had wrapped around her little finger the honorary Don of the Outfit in ways that would definitely twist his plans.

Montavaro's concessions and Mikael's stay could only mean one thing.

He was about to lose control and power tonight.

Time would run out on him.

Klaus did not know what was promised between them but he knew that he would not like what was about to unravel tonight in the council and he would be unable to refuse. Not if he wanted to maintain the balance he wanted. And Caroline knew it. She had found a weakness and she had exploited it. Not only that but she was about to show to everyone she had.

He would seem weak. If he denied Montavaro then he would not be able to use his marriage with Caroline to his advantage since this truce could not only be one sided; on the other hand, it would look to the Famiglia as if Mikael was still able to take charge against him and no one would accept a weak leader.

Caroline also knew this and used it to her advantage. If, however, he went along with Montavaro and more so Mikael's plans then his father would use this opportunity to rise again and to give to the Salvatores the chance to sideline him. Something that everyone in his territory would come to realize and then they would once again turn to Mikael instead of him. It was a dead end no matter where he looked.

He had to gain some time. To think clearly. To find alternatives and a way out of this mess.

His house was under siege and Kol was trapped inside. He did not know the difference of their forces and how many men they had against Montavaro's. He did not even know the exact damage to the warehouse. It would take hours if not days in order to actually calculate the actual damage.

He was sure that whatever Montavaro was promised would be obvious - at least to the surface- and would be a bloody public statement.

One that Caroline was also making tonight.

And she betrayed him. She planned _this_ tonight, whatever _this_ would turn out to be. Not only had she managed to stall Mikael's exile but she had managed to hypnotize Klaus into a false sense of certainty. She looked straight into his eyes and ...lied.

This was premeditated. Damon and Montavaro were on the same page with her but even Damon was ambushed into this. All evening she was pulling their strings. Even her hostility with Damon and Rebekah was meant to distract him.

Caroline had played him like a fool. Along with everyone else at this bloody table.

He did not even have to wonder how she had gotten into contact with Montavaro to plan this when her every move in his house was monitored.

She had assistance. Mikael was looking like a cat that had eaten the canary and it was Caroline that had fed him.

Even the idea of Caroline and Mikael making plans behind his back and being close enough to do so was throwing his sanity into pieces in black wind.

Klaus blocked out all the noises and pointless discussions at the table and stared at Mikael who was giving him a depraved smile in return. Klaus gripped the crystal harder as Mikael raised his own in a silent mockery of a toast.

Klaus braced himself when Caroline drank in honor of Mikael's toast. He did not know what he would be able to do after tonight. This could not be left unanswered.

All he knew was that the sting of betrayal ignited his wrath. Never ending wrath and the seeds exploded like embers and Klaus felt their burn. If he was not tied down by alliances and conventions, he would go out and paint the city red. He craved carnage. He wanted to massacre gangs and traitors and to contain his anger before he lashed out with no control. He had been so close to gaining everything. He had been so close to getting rid of Mikael. He had stripped from him all his power inside the Famiglia but now he clung to the Salvatore branch using Caroline as his failsafe. Caroline who chose to side with his greatest enemy, instead of him. He who had shown her nothing but patience and kindness. He who had shown her nothing but respect. Respect and mercy. More mercy than he had ever shown to anyone else. Mercy that no one ever gave him. Not even her. Her. A Salvatore down to the marrow.

Kol had been right. She was not to be trusted. No matter what he would do for her. What he was ready to give to her. She would never side with him.

His eyes scanned Caroline. This time under a new light. He refused to acknowledge the inklings of pride when he realized that she had actually pulled this off tonight. No, she would not distract him again.

His eyes roved over her figure slowly. Right now he was seizing up a worthy opponent and he realized his mistake. He had seen the signs. The morning after their wedding he had seen her sharp mind and her potential for darkness. He had seen it but then he ignored it because for the last few weeks Caroline wrapped herself in a veil of apathy that was designed in a way to purposely make her look innocent and harmless. He had thought that he was the one responsible for killing her light and that living with them and not trusting him was slowly hurting her and turning her into the docile wife he originally thought he wanted to have but in the last few weeks he had come to realize he hated that when it came to Caroline. He wanted the woman he had seen on their wedding night. The strong, beautiful and fierce woman that stood up to him and faced him with pride and light when he thought he had scared her into meek submission but it was the opposite. He had gotten that woman. To the tenfold. Caroline's light had not faded. Caroline dimmed it and used the opportunity to study him. To study his family. To make plans. And there was only one reason one made such plans and crafted profiles and strategic moves that where meant to become a surprise attack. Caroline was ready to wage war. And she had picked her side. Tonight she was declaring which part of the battlefield she belonged to.

He had asked for her trust and he wanted her to grant him her favor so much he allowed himself to be deceived by her. By her eyes and by his unexplained need to make her smile and keep her close to him. To make her his.

But he had forgotten that trust had to be earned and now Caroline was not just for him to make smile. She was his wife.

That made her a Mikaelson. And everyone knew that Mikaelsons were not to be trusted.

He had underestimated her and he was paying the price now. Caroline just proved to him what he always knew. Women were more dangerous than shotguns. And in this case, Caroline was far more efficient and lethal. She pulled his strings, becoming the perfect distraction.

Caroline went, saw and conquered and all that with seemingly harmless antics. He had anticipated some kind of reaction from her for weeks now but he had not seen this coming. Not this. And he was only scratching the surface of what his wife had planned for tonight.

He lifted his glass higher. Joining the toast with the vipers who after years of waiting went straight for the strike, relishing his defeat and humiliation.

But it was only one particular brand of poison that rotted him from the inside out. It was set in the green eyes that glazed with defiance as Caroline clinked her glass against the crystal he was holding. Their wedding rings reflecting their shine in the bubbles of the champagne in their glasses.

A feral grin appeared on Klaus lips, perfectly covering the maelstrom of fury Caroline's treachery sparked inside him. It raged and burned but he reigned over it as their gazes clashed and the rest of the world faded.

War. This was war. In all fronts. The pieces had moved in the chessboard tonight and he had to revaluate his moves.

One thing was certain. Tonight, for the first time in years, he was not three steps ahead. He had lost one of his pieces to the Queen. Because this was what Caroline was. She was the Queen piece he had used as a pawn and now she was returning the favor.

Check mate.

* * *

**_To revenge, to resolve_ **  
**_To be longed for, I am here._ **

**_Sometimes I justify the words I spill_ **  
**_Like secret angels they test your will_ **  
**_Outside my troubles are over_ **  
**_But in your eyes the melody is frozen_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Many thanks to the amazing Anastasia Dreams for her beta work.
> 
> * Songs used as inspiration for this chapter :  
> Renaissance by Paolo Buonvino & Skin (Music From "Medici Masters of Florence" Tv Series)


	7. Game On

Chapter 6: Hell Thy name is Woman | Part II

**Game on  
**

.

* * *

_**Say it like you mean it** _

_**Bones become dust, gold turns to rust** _  
_**Underneath a spotlight and all the splintered wood** _  
_**Nothing here is shining..Shining like it should** _

* * *

.

.

.

The silk of her gown hissed against the stones of the balcony with her every step and Caroline felt the icy breeze of the night blanketing her body causing shivers to erupt. She felt the coldness and the stillness of the surroundings that were promising danger more than ever; a foreboding feeling either born from the wind threatening to erupt to a nightly howl or the alcohol in her heated blood. She didn't know. All she knew was that this place, this house, did not feel like home anymore.

Stefan's presence was annoying her now and she gripped the marble railing, the coldness of the stone bit into her hand. She glanced at the sparkle of the diamonds on her wrist and she huffed out an inaudible puff of bitterness wrapped in a shaky breath. She squared her shoulders and plastered back her lips, for what felt like the thousand time tonight, a fake anfractuous smile of confidence before she turned to face her beloved brother. Her once upon a time beloved brother.

"What dealings do you have with Montavaro?" Stefan immediately cut to the chase when he was sure no one was listening.

Caroline paid no attention to the concerned look her brother was casting her or to his question. Instead she twirled her wedding band against her finger with her thumb and her expression turned coy.

"Shouldn't you be in the meeting brother?" she asked Stefan with a sugary tone that attempted to feign innocence. And whilst in the past that very same tone brought a smile to her brother's lips now it only made him press his mouth tight much to her amusement. Her ever serious brother who was trying to do damage control once more when he and Damon made sure to damage her beyond repair by feeding her to the wolves. But she was not prey. She had her own skin of fur and her own claws to fight back and it was time for them to feel her bite for everything they had done to her. Even Stefan.

"He is not an underling! He's the head of the Outfit branch in the south!" Stefan's whisper was coming close to a shout of fear, "what are you doing Caroline?" Stefan demanded with a hiss, trying to keep his voice down. Caroline only shrugged and bit back a laugh when Stefan's brow rose so high from frustration it almost reached his hairline.

"What does it look like?" Caroline pondered while looking at her nails with boredom. Stefan took a step towards her looking as if he was about to shake her but the steel in Caroline's gaze as she pointed a challenging glare at him made him halt.

"Like you are making a shallow grave with your name on it," he huffed desperately and then something peculiar happened. Caroline felt it deep inside. In the pit of her stomach. Darkness and mist swam in her like rising smoke from the depths of her very soul and for the first time in her life Caroline felt as if she was a creature that was not human. A creature that could not be tamed and that craved to wreck havoc and destruction as much as her family did. Maybe this is how it felt when people lost hope and turned evil. She should know. She had seen it happen before. With her brothers. She had never thought it would happen to her though. She was drowning in that new emotion and she was letting go; and the darkness kept rising.

"No," she objected with a soft voice. Calm so calm her voice was. Enough to show to those that knew her that she was not the same girl they used to know. The woman born from their treacherous deal with their enemies was not safe to be dealt with and her lethal whispers carried danger."You made that grave for me and now thanks to you I have to dig myself out of it. On my own!"

"Caroline-"

"Mikael is leaving," Caroline announced. She looked at the luminance the soft lights in the balcony's ceiling were casting and yet it was as if someone had turned off the lights. She almost did not recognize her own voice that had turned cold and distant, "Or more likely he is being exiled."

"What?"

The shock in Stefan's face was priceless and Caroline could not help but roll her eyes.

"Don't play stupid with me Stefan," Caroline smoothly toyed with the words but then her gaze turned contemplative, "unless you are, which would make you even more of an idiot" she quipped and her gaze scanned at Stefan's unnatural paleness that made him look as if he had seen a ghost or as if he was turning to one.

However, her trust was depleted. She did not believe her brothers' reactions or their good will anymore. She had no faith in their honesty or their good intentions. Even the ever righteous Stefan Salvatore who ripped his victims apart for the sake of their family and cherished her ever since she was born stood back when Damon locked her in her room and then dragged her to the altar wrapped in white to be given to Klaus Mikaelson as a trophy.

"Did you know? Did you know all along? When you were making the deal with Mikael did you know Klaus would be the one in control and not him?" Caroline spat and Stefan's throat bobbed. He seemed…startled. And then his features turned his expression into pensiveness as he approached the railing next to her and gripped it so hard that his knuckles turned white.

"On your honor _brother_. Did you know?" Caroline asked, a shadow of pain in her voice.

Stefan turned his head so to face her. He held his breathe and looked at her with so much hurt it almost made her feel sorry for him. _Almost._

"No."

"Did Damon know?" Caroline cursed out the question and gritted her teeth waiting for Stefan to swear to her that neither he or Damon knew. That at least they had given her all the facts before handing her to Klaus.

Stefan lowered his head, averting his eyes from her.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" she accused him and her hiss sounded murderous even to her ears.

"Father made the deal," Stefan reminded her and ran his hand through his hair, "I can't be sure but I don't think Damon was privy to all the details."

Caroline snorted, giving him a look of pity. Morons she thought. Insufferable morons playing with guns when they could not even play with paper swords.

Caroline felt a blazing fire igniting deep in her gut. She wanted to scream and hit Stefan and punch him until her knuckles would be painted with his blood. She never considered herself to be aggressive and violent and yet now she felt as much of a monster as her brothers were. She wanted retribution and blood.

"Truth is that you left me hanging brother. The all mighty Ripper! Practically The Underboss under the new Boss of the Salvatore Blood! You did not even know the details of the deal you made!" she laughed with so much contempt that Stefan flinched. He opened his mouth to say something but Caroline pointed a finger at him. He stilled.

"Klaus is taking over," she simply said and Stefan looked as if his blood turned to ice in his veins making him into a statue in the process."What?" she mocked him, "you thought that you would have time to establish yourselves as leaders while Klaus would wait to step up in the same way you did?" she wondered sardonically and leaned at the railing allowing the wind to cool her skin and ruffle her hair. She glanced back into the house that was now infested with the Mikaelsons.

"I know him for what? Barely a month and I can already tell you that he is a leader and he is right now dethroning Mikael. What am I saying! He already did. Long live the new King, brother," Caroline taunted Stefan with a dazzling smile and she could tell her coldness unnerved him.

"It can't be. Mikael is still alive," Stefan mumbled and looked around as if even saying Mikael's name was enough to have ears and eyes spying on them.

"Details," Caroline dismissed her brother with a wave of her hand, "he could as well be dead. And from where I am standing I am pretty sure that _my husband_ has already dug him… how you called it? Oh yeah… a shallow grave," she sneered, "he has obviously been preparing for this for years. Contingency plans and all. And who knows. Rebekah might wear the white dress after shedding the black," Caroline joked but there was no humor in her words as the first genuine emotion she allowed to show tonight burst into her, "Just like I did," she mumbled under her breath.

She was so angry. She could not even mourn for her father's death. She hated him for what he did to her and the bargain he had made with the Mikaelsons and then she got married and she had to survive Klaus and his lecherous family. No time for mourning and all the time in the world to fight her grief. She had nowhere to turn to and her every breath was turning to poison. She could not grieve and she felt that if she didn't she would drown in her pain that instead of coming out was now getting buried deep inside her under layers of rage and numbness. It was eating her alive and it was like a ticking bomb. She missed her father. She loved him and she could not even mourn him. Not after what he had done to her. Not after getting married to Klaus.

"This is not possible," Stefan said mostly to himself as he tried to take in what Caroline told him. It was obvious that he did not expect to hear this. He was not pretending. Caroline then snorted and looked to the stars and found their glimmer to be lacking. Either their shine was dimming or she had lost faith in their magic.

"What is not possible is that you became so weak as to trade one of us... _me_... to the Mikaelsons without insurance," Caroline blamed him with distaste. She could not believe how inadequate her brothers had been. And how unable they obviously were when it came to her protection. She was truly alone, wasn't she?

Stefan looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

"And you just made it worse!" he tried to reason with her and even frighten her as he attempted to make her back down and understand that she could not act this way but Caroline pressed her lips together stifling her laugh. She knew that hysteria was just one breath away and so she allowed her heart to be filled with blackness. Stefan had the audacity to accuse her for actually being active and fighting against the torrential danger she was in while he had left her without even a safety net before throwing her to the abyss.

Caroline took a threatening step closer to her brother and Stefan blinked surprised.

"I won't make anything easy for you...brother," she spat the last word taking pleasure at seeing Stefan wince, "I won't make anything easy for any of you!"

Stefan's hand gripped her elbow firmly and Caroline lifted her eyebrow at his gesture and threw him an imperious glare waiting for him to remove his hand.

"You are playing a dangerous game sister. Without even knowing the game," Stefan warned her.

* * *

_**Three weeks ago** _

_It was only when Caroline was sure that Mikael was out of her hearing reach and had put distance between them that she was able to breathe again. And yet the feeling did not last as Caroline realized what she had done. She felt as if her heart would rupture in her chest and burst out in bloody pieces. The air was still thick and vibrated with different shades of fear. Tremors still attacked Caroline's body and she berated herself inwardly for her stupidity. Even unintentionally and just presenting herself the way she did, she had stood up to Mikael and shielded Esther Mikaelson from his rage. Mikael would never forget this. The Head of the Mikaelson Mafia would not forget it. What had she been thinking?_

_It had been a foolish thing to do. She should have remained hidden and let these people deal with their own issues in their own depraved way but instead she acted on impulse and emotion. She could not stand there and pretend as if Mikael hitting his own wife was something acceptable. That valiant moment of intolerance from her part would definitely come back to bite her in the ass. Especially now that she had gotten confirmation by Mikael himself that surviving Klaus would be a roll of the dice for her._

_Mikael's words still made her feel sick and the certainty with which he had talked about Klaus and his intentions when it come to her made her feel as if she was living on borrowed time. That alone had bred panic inside her heart and how much more when after she stepped in and interrupted his fight with his wife the menace that Mikael carried was now targeted on her too. The way he looked at her terrified her. Caroline knew better than to believe that Mikael had retreated because of her. The moment he left was not a sign of weakness. It was a threat. And Caroline knew she should better heed that warning and make amends with him if she valued her life._

_Esther's voice pierced her internal struggle and disoriented her more._

_"Please dear. Come forward," Esther Mikaelson invited her and gestured towards the cushioned chairs behind an old round table that was set for them deeper inside the family room of the conservatory._

_Caroline blinked away the haziness she felt and looked at the direction in which Esther had just pointed._

_Old furniture that had withstood time was placed between intricate designs of vines and flower webs on an elevated wooden platform. Ivory and orangery wall paneling with beautiful marble details surrounded the glass windows that brought more light inside the sun room. Light that somehow seemed to illuminate the furniture more. The floors in here were not made from stones. Instead alabaster marble and rustic wood extended beneath her feet. Pillars with vines and tall column planters with all sort of flowers and greenery were placed everywhere and reached up to the ceiling._

_Above the table a beautiful chandelier was hung from a glass ceiling dome but Caroline ignored all the lavishness that surrounded her and focused on the landscape she could see outside the floor to ceiling windows._

_Caroline realized the mesmerizing view that expanded behind the glass windows was ending at the Chapel in which she was married to Klaus. She refused to linger on the memory and keep watching the old stone structure that hosted and witnessed a marriage that in her mind felt more like a funeral. Instead she looked at the table and tried to somehow make herself feel at ease despite Esther's intimidatory presence._

_A silver tray was already waiting for them on top of the table. It was filled with an antique porcelain tea pot and white similar cups and saucers with gold rims. Next to the creamer set and the sugar bowl were plates with biscuits, tartlets and -her favorite- caramel almond slices. The pastries and the tea were spreading a sweet welcoming fragrance in the air which battled the heavy scent of the flowers._

_Caroline took a tentative step forward. Esther's voice was eerily calm and did not reveal any weakness. It was as if nothing had transpired between her and Mikael and as if she herself had just arrived. Either Esther was used to her husband's violence or had mastered her reactions regardless of the situation._

_All Caroline knew was that now she was obviously standing in front of a noble woman. Elegant and dignified despite the gardening apron and work gloves she was wearing. She also realized that nothing could penetrate Esther's armor as she had not cowered in front of Mikael's wrath either. Now she was standing in front of a wooden bench that had some pots and gardening tools on it._

_Before marrying Klaus she had not heard much of Esther Mikaelson. But after her wedding she had realized that this woman held more power in the shadows than any other and the fact that she had not heard of her before her wedding was also telling._

_Every time Esther Mikaelson entered a room it was as if a lioness was entering a house of cats. And right now Caroline felt like a mouse caught in a trap._

_It was not the fact that Klaus' mother was the matriarch of the Mikaelsons but somehow and weirdly enough it was the way she carried herself that demanded respect._

_Even now, after Caroline had witnessed her confrontation with Mikael and never more so than now simply dressed and working on her garden._

_"You asked to see me Mrs. Mikaelson," Caroline said in a cordial manner regaining her own self-control again. She made no comment of what she had just witnessed and interrupted and she could tell that Esther Mikaelson would not appreciate any questions or words of concern when it came to this. Thankfully, Esther made no comment either and showed no sign of knowing if she knew that she had eavesdropped on her conversation with Mikael._

_"Mother," Esther corrected her and Caroline instinctively felt bile rising in her throat and Esther smiled knowingly, "I know it is not easy but there are some traditions that need to be upheld. Better to start now and make yourself comfortable before Klaus starts introducing you to his circle," she advised._

_She was right of course. Elena called Giuseppe father too after her marriage with Stefan and even though she had barely met Elizabeth Salvatore who died long before Elena Gilbert married her brother, her friend referred to her as mother. Something that both irritated and annoyed Caroline. She was finding such conventions ridiculous when they were showing no real respect or even indicating any kind of true connection between the relatives most of the times._

_Caroline did not know how to respond to Esther's correction, however, or to the absence of emotion in the woman's voice so she just nodded and Esther turned her attention back to her plant. Caroline noticed that she was poking holes through the soil inside a pot with a hand cultivator while also carefully and expertly cutting some leaves from the stem of the half withered flower she was attending to._

_"What happened to it?" Caroline dared to ask, trying to find a harmless subject to break the ice between them while she went and patiently waited on the side of the table._

_"Ah Carissa?" Esther absentmindedly cooed without turning to face Caroline, "Too much sun."_

_Caroline blinked. Her mother in law was giving names to her plants?_

_She looked around at the countless flowers, trees and all the greenery and shrugged. But then Esther took out her gloves, wiped her hands on her apron before also taking it off and stepped away from the bench._

_The grace in her movements and the sharp intense scrutiny that was now focused on her made Caroline realize there were no harmless subjects when it came to Esther Mikaelson. The ice would not break not when even the aura around that woman seemed to emanate frost that turned everything around her into an unearthly rigid environment absent of light and emotion. Esther seemed to be the very definition of the cloak and dagger phrase. She was wrapped in mystery while she moved with finesse and calculated sophistication._

_"Light can be just as dangerous as darkness. If not more," Esther noted as she took a seat and gestured for Caroline to also sit. Only then Caroline mimicked her and sat on the seat opposite to her and tried not to fidget. She felt as if she were taking an exam. Esther did not even ask before she poured steaming tea into cups for both of them and served them._

_Caroline took her cup carefully but for some reason the alluring scent of the herbal tea caused her stomach to cramp with nausea and anxiety. She waited until Esther took a sip from her cup before she cautiously brought hers to her lips. Esther Mikaelson smiled but said nothing. If she found her behavior strange or insulting she did not say. Caroline on the other hand tried to remember all the savoir vivre lessons her mother had taught her and to remain impassive while doing so._

_"My son is dark man Caroline," Esther said without preamble. "I am sorry that you will have to endure such a fate but it is not something you can't handle."_

_Caroline's hands shook for a moment and the hot liquid in her cup almost spilled from the porcelain rim. She put the cup down on the table feeling her throat closing and pushed her hands under the table to hide their shaking._

_She did not know how to civilly respond to such a statement especially since it was coming from Klaus' mother. She felt awkward but mostly she felt threatened. Did Esther mean that Klaus was as dark as Mikael? Would she have to expect Klaus to lash out and hit her too? She somehow doubted that this would happen but on the other hand she did not know how to respond to Esther's statement especially as she remembered Mikael's words. What should she expect? What would Klaus do to her when he would be tired of her or when their union would have nothing more to offer him? How would she endure him then?_

_"I-"_

_Words seem to fail her just as the older woman lifted her hand authoritatively to the air effectively silencing her._

_"Please be honest," Esther encouraged her, shedding all pretences of decorum between them as she put some sugar in her tea and stirred it with a silver spoon, "I was in your place once. A long time ago. I know how you feel and what you think. No point in lying."_

_Caroline let out a shaky breath and examined Esther, her eyes slightly turning to slits before she forced herself to relax and square her shoulders. She pushed her cup away trying to stall. The sound of the porcelain grazing the wood sounded louder to Caroline's ears somehow. The tea rippled inside the cup, its hot steam rising as Caroline's gaze rose and met Esther's with decisiveness._

_"I am not sure if I want to handle your son…mother," she fired back ironically knowing all too well the risk she was taking by being so rude and forthcoming and yet she never knew how to keep her mouth shut. Another stupid action just in the span of a few moments. That whole family kept pushing her and Caroline realized that even though she was being honest with Esther she was also keeping her guard up. When with Klaus her instant reactions were different._

_Caroline's breath hitched as she realized that somehow Klaus had not tried to intimidate her purposely thus far while his family did in every chance they got. Sure he was manipulative and devious but he had not been sadistic with her. And that contrast became painfully clear now that she was facing his parents. That realization hit her with so much force that she had to root her feet to the ground just so to remain seated and not jump up from her chair. Deep down, she was sure that Klaus would not treat her as Mikael was obviously treating Esther. Not physically anyway._

_So now she could not help but wonder if that made Klaus more dangerous or less. He was unpredictable because she could not make sense of him. At least with the rest of the Mikaelsons she knew exactly where she stood. She knew what to expect._

_So the serpentine smile that appeared on Esther's lips was not something that surprised Caroline._

_"Now this attitude right here shows me that you far more capable than you think," Esther applauded her, amused as she drank more of her tea._

_Caroline pressed her lips and her nails dug into her palms. That kind of patronizing attitude was so similar to the suave way Klaus teased her while trying to get a reaction out of her hat Caroline realized that he was indeed Esther's son._

_"You do not need to fear me, child," Esther assured her, "I am a woman after all. And a woman in this world is something that either breaks," she said and pointed towards the withered plant on the bench she had been taking care of minutes before, "or something to be feared."_

_Caroline saw how Esther fixed her gaze on a rose bush just a few steps away from their table that had more thorns than blooms._

_"I had so many hopes when I married Mikael," Esther remembered with a voice that was dripping with a weird blend of sarcasm and nostalgia. "Like you, I did not know my husband before our marriage. But, unlike you, I wanted to marry him. It was my only chance to get away from my father's thumb and for that I needed to side with a more powerful man. To create my own family. The rules remain the same and yet the world moves on. Back in my day things for women like us were –believe it or not- even more…suffocating," she bitterly waved her hand as she recalled the days of her youth and every step of her journey thus far. Caroline could not help but be intrigued. She leaned forward and listened, knowing that this would be a rare lesson Esther would not be willing to share with her again._

_"But I had hope. Mikael's courtship and my first days into our marriage could only be described as blissful," she continued with a fond expression that transformed her face completely making her seem much younger and more beautiful. Gone was the bitterness. The open gentleness and excitement in her features right now reminded her of Rebekah somehow._

_However, Caroline knew better. Happiness was not meant to last. Not with people like Mikael and Esther. Not in this house. Not in this world._

_"The bliss did not last, I take it?" Caroline questioned even though she knew the answer but this time she kept her tone polite and her voice low._

_"No, it did not."_

_Caroline frowned. There was no sharpness in her voice only acceptance. However, the gentleness in Esther's face was gone as if it was never there to begin with. The coldness and regal imposing disposition was back._

_"And then I had to make due and to compensate for any loss with personal victories," Esther revealed with pride, "we cannot use brute force Caroline but we can use our minds and our will. We…you if you want…can become a force to be reckoned with even under the Famiglia's code. But, first, you need to establish yourself in the family," she warned and Caroline felt a lump forming in her throat. One that was blocking her airway. There was something in Esther's eyes now that was unsettling and Caroline felt as if she were counting the moments before she would be struck down by an opponent far more lethal and powerful than she could ever be._

_And she was not wrong._

_"It was only when I gave Mikael his first son that I secured my position and I didn't achieve that by allowing my husband to sleep on a different room than mine my dear," Esther sardonically confronted her._

_Caroline opened her mouth to protest that blatant invasion of her privacy and even deny it, but Esther cut her off by raising her hand again._

_"I know everything that happens in this house, Caroline. Never presume otherwise," the threat lingered in each word shrouding Caroline in a black smoke that seemed to suck away her every resistance, "Knowledge is power after all," Esther told her as if she was her young apprentice and Caroline understood why Klaus had tried to keep her away from his mother. The way Esther was manipulating her way into their personal life left Caroline breathless and angry. More so she knew the mercy Klaus was granting her by not forcing her into having sex with him and now Esther was obviously trying to harshly patronize her into doing what she wanted. Which was to get in bed with her son and start popping out heirs; but the way she was opening her cards and revealing her knowledge was something that was giving Caroline a mental whiplash._

_Of course, Esther would try to ensure that she be turned into their family's broodmare. Her marriage with Klaus would not have the same value without a child sharing the same blood of the two strongest Mafia families of Chicago and of America in general. A child that would inherit everything._

_A child or even better children Caroline thought with revulsion that would ensure the Salvatore blood inside the Mikaelson family and would eventually render her worth useless. She would be disposable to the Mikaelsons then._

_Caroline was sure that Esther would not allow history to repeat itself in the same way Tatia's story had unfolded. When Tatia died she had not given the Mikaelsons what they wanted. Children to carry on the alliances and keep the inheritance of their dead mother. And that had been lost power to Mikael and Caroline realized that Esther would make sure that the new bride of the family would give them what they want. That alone made Caroline feel sick. She did not know the lengths to which both Klaus and Esther would go to get what they wanted from her. Klaus was buying his time with her but for how long? How long would it would be before he would demand from her all the things she was unwilling to give? Klaus wanted power above all and more tools to use against Mikael. If he wanted to succeed and most of all destroy Mikael he would have to ensure his power and his ties with the Salvatore blood. And the only way to achieve that was through her._

_"Niklaus will succeed Mikael," Esther simply stated the fact affirming Caroline's dreaded thoughts. "He will wear the crown and he will cast a heavy shadow upon you. Either you will fight it or rise above it. It is your choice. You can be a servant or... his equal," she suggested as if she had not tried to objectify her just seconds before and even though Caroline was seething she could not help but be intrigued by the prospect._

_"His equal?" Caroline mumbled more to herself than Esther. An alluring promise for sure._

_Esther got up and went back to the bench. She gently caressed the leaves from another flower that seemed to be struggling between spring and decay._

_"It is not impossible," Klaus' mother vaguely mused as she now tended to another plant._

_Caroline shook her head fiercely, shedding away the dark spell Esther was casting on her. Becoming Klaus' equal meant sacrifice. Meant death. She would have to bury herself and act as a ghost encased in a tomb. Her soul would not survive this. She would lose herself and would become like Esther she realized and that alone scared her even more so than losing her life._

_"I never wanted this," Caroline denied and looked at her hands on her lap that had stopped shaking. It was as if her body's struggle had come to a halt as it was beginning to realize what her mind seemed to be refusing to accept. There was no way out. Her hands were pale and the wedding ring now shone more on her finger._

_"You were born into this. Do not delude yourself by believing there was ever another option for you. I am sure if your mother would have lived longer she would have taught you this," Esther scolded her sternly as she plucked the roots from the dirt and threw the flower aside._

_Caroline closed her eyes. She was born and sworn in blood from the first breath she had taken but she would not drown in it. That was not an option despite Esther's intentions. Luring her to her destruction with promises of power was not something that would work. No matter how much of a seductive trap that was._

_"I think I've heard enough," Caroline refused to play any more games with this woman and got up ignoring the danger of standing up against Esther. She would rather take her chances with Klaus or even Mikael._

_She had not taken many steps towards the exit of Esther's garden before she stopped abruptly at the voice that rose like the crack of a whip._

_"You need to decide Caroline. You are either a pawn or you are a Queen. Either you will stand by your King or you will become expendable," Esther called out to her with a tone that left no room for debate and Caroline remained unnaturally still. The threat of her demise laced Esther's words as well as the promise for greatness._

_"There is no other option. Heed my advice, Caroline. You will be able to survive my son but only if you learn to play the game right."_

* * *

A dangerous game Stefan said. One that according to him she did not know how to play. One that according to Esther she had to learn how to play.

Caroline shook away the memory as Stefan's words echoed along with Esther's. It was all about the game. The dangerous, terrifying, game where pawns were collateral damage and Kings and Queens ruled. Her survival depended on it now.

Caroline slowly removed her hand from Stefan's grip and her head snapped to the side as she heard the sound of heels clanking against the floors behind the glass doors quickly approaching the dimly lit balcony. She looked at Stefan with a challenge in her eyes while an air of superiority wrapped around her like mist.

"Maybe it is time to learn it then," she sang with a soft voice barely audible and Stefan cocked his head to the side with worry. He also heard that they were about to have some company and it was obvious that he wanted to spent more time with her in private. To try to scold her into behaving in the way he and Damon deemed appropriate. In the way, Esther also expected for her to act. Anything to dissuade her and to turn her into the obedient wife they sold to their former enemies. Damon had used force, manipulation and blackmail while Stefan was pretending to be the good concerned brother. In the end, Caroline knew that the result remained the same. They did not care for her. They simply threw her to the wolves and now they were trying to assess the collateral damage.

_"Is that it or you are just collateral damage?"_

Caroline gritted her teeth to the point of breaking as Klaus' words were whispered in her mind. His voice was like lethal poison inside her now, tainting her memories and taking away everything she once held dear. She shook her head. Stefan viewed her as a child playing games she did not understand, Damon as a disposable pawn and Klaus as collateral damage. And Esther believed that she was a naive puppet with strings she could pull. Damn them all to hell she was none of those things. Not anymore.

Stefan could not understand it, Caroline realized but the difference between the girl she had been and the person that she was now was that she was not playing anymore. At least not on their terms.

And it was not as if she was not raised in the Mafia too. Their world turned women into objects in need of protection but Caroline would not let them gamble with her safety and survival. She knew the rules herself too. For years, she had seen how her father operated and she had seen how her brothers worked through blood and murder. The difference was that the girl who did not wear a wedding band on her finger wanted to have nothing to do with that world but the married woman now was knew she had to get knee deep into everything she had been trying to avoid. She had to play the game, pull strings and hold on to old connections and weave them into chaos if she wanted to survive and despite what Stefan or anyone else thought she would win.

Stefan seemed to have been rendered speechless as his eyes scanned her cold calculating expression but before he could say something the sharp sound of heels on stone gained their attention.

Caroline gave him a mocking smile and took a step back and noticed how Stefan instinctively tried to relax his taut muscles and put back on his stoic mask. Caroline realized that Stefan always had the same reaction when Elena approached him. It was as if he did not want to taint his wife's compassionate and seemingly naive innocence by showing her any signs of his dark face. Both of them were happy to pretend as if their marriage was normal and as if Stefan was not known as the Ripper and was not part of the mafia. Elena was the perfect wife and Stefan was the doting husband and whatever happened outside this mansion was never discussed at any of the family gatherings. Caroline assumed that this was how Stefan and Elena operated in private too. Such a stifling fake life. So many secrets untold from both sides. Because Caroline knew that it was not only Elena who tolerated Stefan's secret demons. Stefan knew all too well of everything that was boiling under the surface of Elena's heart. He had to know. After all, him, Elena and Damon lived under the same roof.

Caroline wanted to scream to Stefan to first fix his life before trying to tell her how to play the game, to which he was obviously failing, and yet she felt a sting of pity in her heart at the flash of pain and longing that passed through Stefan's eyes as the knowing steps came closer still.

Love. No matter how messed up Stefan's and Elena's relationship was they had something she would never have. _Love._ And that hurt her. It hurt her more than she could begin to say. This was what was stolen from her. A future. A husband that would stop breathing in the same way Stefan's breath hitched everything time Elena was close. A loving husband. Something Klaus would never be for her.

And as she did expect Stefan held indeed his breath. First it was, Elena's perfume that seemed to lift some of the weight he always carried on his shoulders; then all it would take would be one sweet gaze from his wife's doe eyes for Stefan to actually smile but in that prediction Caroline failed. After their discussion, Stefan seemed to not have any more smiles to share tonight. Tonight her brother did not turn to greet his wife with a smile and a caress as he always did when she came to him. Stefan kept his gaze fixed on hers and Caroline's lips curled to a half mocking smile when Elena came to tell Stefan that Damon was asking for him.

And just like that the record of their lives played the same white noise again. The weight of the world crashed again into Stefan's shoulders and the muscles on his jaw clenched as they always did when the name of Damon Salvatore was on Elena Salvatore's lips.

Caroline could not help but roll her eyes at this. The empathy she usually had for her brother and even for Elena and Damon had disappeared. Their dysfunctional triangle only left a bitter taste in her mouth and nauseated her now. It was a joke. Maybe it was a blessing and not a condemnation that she would not get to taste such _love_ after all.

Stefan grimly saw the irony that twisted in her features and only nodded his reply to Elena but before he left to go find Damon he leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"Be careful, sister," Stefan whispered desperately into her ear; both of them knew that they had to maintain a united front tonight and he could not stay with her any longer. Not when the Mikaelsons were in their home and he had to abide to Damon's beck and call. His last warning had Caroline momentarily stiffening before she turned her head to the side refusing to even acknowledge Stefan's worry. His care and his fear offered no comfort to her anymore. They came a little bit too late.

Elena and Caroline watched Stefan walk away and then Elena turned around and gave Caroline a sweet smile. They had not been alone since the day of her wedding when Elena helped her get into her wedding dress, staying by her side until Damon escorted her to the altar. That day the always compassionate Elena had tried to comfort her and to support her throughout the whole ordeal but Caroline had said nothing to her.

As she said nothing to her now too.

"How are you Caroline?" Elena softly asked, trying to break the heavy silence between them and Caroline beamed at her. A fake radiant smile that did not reach her eyes.

"Very well Elena. How nice of you to ask," she allowed her sarcasm to be directed straight to her target in a jovial flow of faux kindness.

Elena looked taken aback and went very still obviously not expecting her to treat her like this. Caroline kept her smile in place, making sure that the signs of awkwardness Elena was showing would not fade away. It would be so easy to pretend that nothing had happened between them after all and she was done playing nice.

How was that old saying after all?

Oh yes.

_"I'm a kind person, I'm kind to everyone, but if you are unkind to me, then kindness is not what you'll remember me for."_

Words to live by obviously Caroline realized bitterly. Well if they worked for Capone who was she to doubt them.

So Caroline did not try to ease the tension between them. Instead she allowed herself to actually scrutinize Elena. Elena Gilbert-Salvatore. Her best friend since kindergarten. The girl with the doe-eyed smile everyone chose over her.

Elena no longer had pigtails and she had thrown away her converse sneakers. She now stood tall in her beautiful high couture silver-white gown. Her hair was perfectly straightened and fell like a bright curtain around her shoulders. The beautiful pink gold jewelry she wore once belonged to her mother, Elizabeth Salvatore. Stefan had gifted Elena with many of their mother's jewels and she always wore them with grace. Effortless grace.

The familiar pang of envy resonated inside Caroline but this time its thorns tore her already broken heart into shards and pieces that cut her more. It was not fair. It never was and it never would be. Maybe it was a petulant uncouth feeling but Caroline knew better. Elena did not even try. She always looked perfect. She always _was_ perfect. No one ever called her an airhead or shallow or a kiddie pool. Elena always knew how to say the right thing and do what was expected of her and people adored her. She could only just breathe and everyone would be in awe. Caroline grew up hating her for it and some part of her still did and while in the past she tried to bury it, now, that part roared. Her jealousy did not subside as they grew up and neither did her insecurities that were always pronounced when she or others compared herself with the perfection that Elena Gilbert was.

No matter how much she tried, Caroline was never the one. She always tried so hard and in the end it did not even matter. She was never the one. And worse than that she was stripped of all choice and left all alone while Elena had both of her brothers fawning over her and bending backwards to make sure she would be content, happy and safe while they had simply gift-wrapped her and gave her to a man like Klaus Mikaelson without thinking twice about it. Elena was cherished while she had to keep watching behind her back and protect herself from never ending danger. Caroline knew that she would always be the second choice no matter how much she tried but at least she had hoped that she would be given -from her brothers anyway- at least half of the consideration that Elena was allowed and in the end she got once more the short end of the stick. Her brothers only had eyes for Elena and no matter how much she would try she would never be perfect and without flaws. She was not Elena and no one cared for her.

" _You are just collateral damage."_

Klaus words had turned into poison and she was drinking it in. Willingly.

She did not avert her eyes from Elena and her prolonged stare filled with the poison that now festered inside her made Elena sway on her heels and clear her throat.

"The men are in the study but we should not leave the rest of our guests waiting," Elena finally said almost stiffly but Caroline did not make it easy for her. She said nothing and Elena sighed delicately. "Caroline you should come. Esther and Rebekah are in the parlor with the rest of the ladies. We can't leave them alone," she kindly said, trying to reach out to her with hospitality. A trait of hers that never failed Elena when they were organizing parties and entertaining guests. And most of the times if they had a fight Elena would use her obsessive need for control and for organizing such events in order to make amends with her.

The edge of Caroline's lips stretched more and her eyes traveled up and down Elena's figure. She huffed a laugh making Elena blink uncomfortably. If there was one thing she had learned from the Mikaelsons and especially her husband during the last weeks was that confidence and poisonous dimpled smiles could get you a long way. And she had her own dimples to use too.

"Right," Caroline chirped, "entertaining the guests. But you forget Elena I am a guest here too tonight," she mockingly batted her eyelashes as she smoothly dished out the truth to Elena. This was not her house anymore and most certainly not her home either.

"Don't be silly Caroline," Elena reprimanded her quickly, too quickly; her tone was patronizing as usual meant to imply that she found her response immature and unfairly hurtful. However, this time Caroline did not feel bad. Instead she laughed. A cold laugh that obviously unnerved Elena who looked at her with wide eyes. Maybe she believed that she had lost her mind but unfortunately for them her sanity was not only intact but also more in focus than ever before. The blinds were off. For the first time, she could see clearly and see her family for what they were. Elena included.

"Why? This is not my home anymore. If it has ever been, that is," Caroline shrugged her pain away and fixed her eyes at the scenery that lay ahead of the railing. She saw the old swing her grandfather had build for her brothers. Under the old oak. The same swing Stefan used to put her on when she was young.

" _Caroline-"_

The pity she heard in Elena's voice was like a physical blow. She turned her head to the side and her lips parted to a smile as sharp as the knives Klaus' was keeping in their dressing room.

" _Mikaelson_ ," Caroline singsang the chilling sound effectively, silencing Elena who frowned at the name Caroline let out in a purr out of nowhere.

Mikaelson. Saying that name was not easy and she had practiced in front of the vanity many times during the last weeks. She kept trying it on her lips and enunciating it over and over again until it did not feel so alien anymore. Until she delivered it naturally with the right amount of elegance and menace and until she did not cringe upon saying and hearing it. At least not as much as she used to and certainly not as much as Elena now did, "Caroline Mikaelson," Caroline played with the words together coloring them with mirth and danger, "try it Elena," she mocked, "it is a weird sound. A different taste than how Salvatore used to sound."

Elena exhaled a shaky breath.

"I understand that this... union was not exactly desirable by you but-"

Seeing the painful expression etched upon Elena's features made Caroline see red. She seethed at that sisterly display of affection when she knew now for a fact that it was not supported with action. It was as superficial as her image of perfection and dainty morality was.

"How do you understand this?" Caroline pressed on making sure the question would come out as if she was genuinely intrigued.

Elena stared at her confused and Caroline snorted.

"You are married to Stefan. He adores you. So how would you know about undesirable _unions_ Elena?"

Caroline held her hand in front of her. The gold and the diamonds shone but Caroline only stared at her wedding band. She used her thumb to theatrically swirl it around her ring finger. Elena followed her movement with keen eyes.

"Unless it was not Stefan you wanted to marry," Caroline jested.

A well coordinated jab handed with spite despite the innocent gaze Caroline threw at her sister in law. Caroline knew that this squabbling nonsense were beneath her but she did not care anymore. She only relished the way Elena blanched.

Caroline leaned against the railing and placed her palm on the cold surface, tapping her nails on it.

They never talked about this. Not directly. It was the unspoken truth no one dared to utter or even mention. On Elena's wedding day, Caroline had only warned her to make her brother happy but then again she supposed that she did not specify which brother. And back then, she considered Elena to be her friend. Her sister. So she kept silent and stood by her side despite everything.

"What are you implying?" Elena hissed tersely and stepped closer to her after looking around to make sure no one heard them. With all the people in the house and the guards and the cameras, this was indeed dangerous. Even the walls had ears and Caroline knew it all too well.

Caroline simply arched her eyebrow giving Elena a knowing look.

"I love your brother, Caroline, you know this!" Elena objected and Caroline nodded playfully, feigning agreement.

"Oh I know. I just don't know which one," she simply said and Elena's head snapped back as if she had actually slapped her.

"You have no right!" Elena bit back trying to keep her voice low and under control. She actually had the audacity to look insulted Caroline thought with anger.

"Right? Yes, let us talk about right and wrong Elena," Caroline gripped the railing and gave Elena a sharp glare, "you knew what my family was planning for me months before my father's death and you said nothing!"

Before Elena could say anything, Caroline held her hand in the air in an imperious gesture similar to that which Esther Mikaelson had used, cutting off Elena who looked at her with wide eyes.

"I am your friend," Caroline continued and cursed herself in her mind for still using the present tense and for still feeling that Elena would always be a part of her one way or another, "I was your sister long before you became part of my family and you didn't even give me the head's up," she pointed a blaming finger at the brunette.

"Don't say that," Elena mumbled, trying to reach for Caroline.

Caroline jerked her hand away."Oh don't deny it," she dismissed her coldly, "At least have the decency to be honest and not lie in my face!"

Elena hugged herself and Caroline looked down at her with derision.

"I am not. But you need to understand. I only did what I was told to. If it was up to me-"

"It was up to you!" Caroline exclaimed incredulously, "To stand by my side. To at least let me know. I would do it for you. I kept your secrets after all," she retorted and could not help but feel disgusted.

Elena froze and gulped. Caroline could hear the steps of the guards under the balcony and took several breaths to calm down. Her lips twisted in her effort to not allow herself to show weakness. To not cry. To not shout at Elena.

"You stood by Damon and found excuses for what he was doing to me. You still do," she finally said with so much calmness that it perturbed her when Elena became flustered. Caroline stepped closer, her eyes blazing with icy fury, "And you forgot that I grew up in this family. I know how to keep the things I want to keep a secret. At first I thought it was on me. That I was not careful enough and the men father and Damon had sent after me found out. Those that actually knew were not going to report back to my brothers. I had made sure of that. And still...I kept rewinding everything in my mind the last weeks. Damon knew details it would be impossible to know. Things I shared only with my two closest friends and Bonnie did not even know about my family. Damon used someone I loved as leverage but the truth is that he could have learned about what Matt truly meant to me only by one person."

Elena stilled. Completely. At least she had the decency to look ashamed but even that made Caroline tremble with rage. Caroline pushed her nails into her palm to stop herself from actually lashing out. Physical violence was not the answer. It would not hurt Elena as much as tasting the same medicine and Caroline would see to that. Elena would come to see what being trapped inside a house with an unfortunate union felt like. How it choked the life out of you.

Caroline would kill two birds with one stone. Maybe even three. Nothing would hurt Elena more than having Rebekah in the Salvatore Manor as Damon's wife. To have her be the first lady and take charge and set her world on fire with her bitterness and with her Mikaelson charm and malice. Caroline would not only arrange Damon's wedding but she would dance and celebrate the day Rebekah would enter this house as a bride. And she would make sure that Elena would dwell in the misery of that wedding as much as Damon and Rebekah would.

"Care please, try to understand. Everything I did was for your good," Elena pled with hushed whispers. Guilt swam in her eyes, "And so did Damon. He only wants what is best for this family. For you too. He only did what he did for your protection. You were not safe. And with your father dying...all the responsibilities have fallen on him," she said with a trembling voice and Caroline rolled her eyes. Elena used to have had compassion. Once. Marrying Stefan and entering this life ruined her. Damon ruined her as much as she ruined herself and Caroline wondered if this was what was happening to her now too. Just a few weeks into her marriage and she was doing things she was not proud of. Would there be anything left of her after a few years or she would end up like Elena? A pawn? A shade of all the dreams that could have been but never became?

"Poor Damon," Caroline let her sarcasm completely loose despite the fact that she felt tired now."So what else does Damon say, Elena? Please do tell me the excuses he uses. The same ones you use to sleep better at night," she let out in a resigned tone.

"Damon cares for you Caroline. _I_ care for you," Elena retaliated.

"Sure. So much that you betrayed me. And, yet, somehow in all this concern I only keep hearing over and over again the word Damon from the mouth of Stefan's wife. Such a happy caring family." Caroline pointed out with irony and Elena pressed her lips together indignantly. Caroline now saw genuine hurt and anger in Elena but it did not make her feel better. If anything it made her feel sick.

"Don't twist my words!"

"Unbelievable," Caroline muttered under her breath.

"If you just let me explain-"

"You know what? Forget it," Caroline tonelessly gave up.

Elena opened her mouth to protest but Caroline only prowled closer to her with a gaze of determination.

"Where is my phone?" Caroline demanded, knowing perfectly well that Elena knew where it was. She was in the mood for searching. She only hoped that Damon had not kept it in the office.

"Caroline-"

"I asked you a question, Elena and you will answer me," Caroline quietly ordered her and Elena gaped at her. Caroline's transformation was depriving her of the ability to talk.

Elena could not believe her own eyes and for the first time, ever since Caroline's wedding, she understood why Stefan was worrying so much. Elena had thought that in time Caroline would settle in her new life. But obviously this had been a wishful thought by her side.

Caroline might have been in shock and angry at her wedding but none of them ever had a say to this life and Elena knew that Caroline was forgiving and reasonable deep down. But that Caroline was nowhere to be seen. Just a few weeks with Klaus Mikaelson and she had turned into a dangerous stranger that wanted to hurt them all. Of course she would, Elena thought scathingly. The same thing had happened to her cousin too.

It was not the first time the North and the South had tried to unify their families with marriage. Tatia was given to the Mikaelsons more or less for the same reason Caroline's marriage happened.

And Elena knew all too well Tatia's ties with Klaus Mikaelson before and after her arranged marriage with Elijah Mikaelson. She still remembered Tatia's gradual change and how she slowly wasted away but she did not believe even for a moment the lies the Mikaelsons were spouting about her death. Tatia was not capable of committing suicide and Elena had seen her falling in love with Elijah after their wedding despite her affair with Klaus Mikaelson. Tatia had not been unhappy in her marriage as Esther Mikaelson made people believe.

It was Niklaus Mikaelson that was poison and Elena still cringed when she remembered that before Tatia's demise her father considered marrying her off to that demon. Even the idea of being tied to that cutthroat psychopath who had killed both his brother and her cousin turned her blood to ice and she could not even begin to imagine how Caroline was feeling now or what that man had already done to her. Klaus had no regard for family ties or emotions and Elena knew that all too well. If she had any real power she would have prevented Caroline's wedding with him. If she could, she would have made sure that Caroline would run away and never look back.

But she couldn't. It was not as if she could have helped Caroline escape in any way. That was impossible. Damon had locked Caroline in and no matter how much she had tried to convince him, he was set on marrying Caroline to Klaus despite the hatred he also had for him. Stefan had been neutral to this and did not oppose Damon either. And even if she could have gotten Caroline out somehow and had found a way to send her away both Damon and Klaus would have hunted her down to the ends of the earth. And then, Caroline would be as good as dead. And so would have been Matthew Donovan and anyone Caroline had met in college. And, Elena knew that Caroline knew all that. Deep down she had to have known. Maybe she wanted to lash out to her now and believe she had betrayed her trust but everything she did she did it for her and for their family.

No matter what Caroline thought she was her sister. She was the only one that knew the whole truth when it came to what she truly felt for Stefan and Damon and was always there for her. She knew how much she loved Stefan but by the time their parents had decided to marry them she had fallen out of love with him. She loved him and wanted him but she was seeing him more like a friend than a lover, however, her father had agreed with Giuseppe and Elena did not have a say in this.

She considered herself lucky. Marrying Stefan was a good thing because she knew all too well that there were other dreaded options when it came to union weddings in the Outfit. She could have been forced to marry someone that would abuse her or was a complete stranger or someone decades older than her. Hell, she could have been married to Klaus Mikaelson by now! She knew who Stefan was. She had seen his dark side. She knew he had gained the name of the Ripper because of the things he did for the Cosa Nostra but he was always kind with her and had a good heart.

Falling in love with Damon was not something she had wanted. It consumed her. It took her by surprise and she hated herself for it. She did not want to hurt Stefan and she hated that she betrayed him with her thoughts and feelings. She was dying slowly every day and she had no way out. Just like Tatia had not either.

It was not as if she could take a divorce and leave. A marriage in their world was forever. And she knew that sooner or later Damon would marry too and then her life would turn to a worse hell than it already was.

She could feel Caroline's pain and even her dread. She knew the misery of having your choices taken away from you. The only reason she did betray her trust with Matt was because she knew that Damon planned to force Caroline to marry Klaus one way or another. Caroline might have believed that she was able to keep a secret from her brothers but Damon was not just her brother now. He was the Boss. It was only a matter of time before he would find out on his own about Caroline's fling with Matt Donovan and everyone knew how impulsive Damon was. He would not just use Matt to blackmail his sister. He would have killed him on the spot and would have made an example out of him.

Maybe it seemed heartless to Caroline's eyes but she had only intervened for her. She did it because she knew that if on top of everything Matt's death was to fall on Caroline's conscience that would break her completely. She would not have been able to survive Klaus after that. And she did not want that for her friend. Maybe Caroline hated her now but she would have to understand.

If she could have stopped Caroline's wedding with Klaus she really would have. Elena knew who the Mikaelsons were. They had killed her cousin. Tatia had died in their hands and Elena knew what kind of a monster Klaus Mikaelson was all too well. She did not want that fate for Caroline but she was powerless and for her own sake Caroline had to submit to Klaus. She had not been able to convince Damon or Stefan to spare Caroline and stop the wedding and so she did the only thing she could. She took precautions before it would be too late. She betrayed Caroline's trust to save her from the worst and then she stood by her side and tried to support her the best way she could and now Caroline faced her as she would an enemy. She even used something personal that hurt her so much - her feelings for Damon, against her.

What was happening to her friend? When she saw Caroline tonight she had been flabbergasted. She did not look like the Care she used to know. She looked cold and intimidating with all the glamour and the wealth she was showered with and even more so as she stood by Klaus's side looking completely at ease and even taken by her husband.

Elena could see that this change was not just superficial or trivial. That lethal cold that had ensnared Caroline in its embrace ran deep. It changed her. And Caroline's behavior at the table? Elena did not know what she was doing but by looking at how everyone reacted it would not end well. And the way Caroline was carrying herself even now and the way she was attacking her? Elena could also tell that she had interrupted an argument between Caroline and Stefan before and Stefan looked at Caroline as if he was seeing a ghost. Elena supposed that this was how she was looking at Caroline herself now too.

Right now, Elena almost cowered down against Caroline's imposing stance but then her shoulders tensed and she gave Caroline a serious look that was accompanied by a pitying sigh of surrender. Arguing with Caroline while the Mikaelsons and the representatives of the Outfit and the Sicilian Mafia were in their home would be a mistake. She had to somehow talk to Caroline alone. In neutral ground and away from prying eyes and ears. Caroline for the last weeks was not even answering her calls and Elena had originally thought that his was all Klaus' doing but it was obvious Caroline did not want to do anything with her anymore. Maybe if she conceded now and gave her what she asked Caroline would calm down. Enough to eventually see reason anyway.

"Despite Dam-, your brother's objections," Elena quickly corrected herself, "I think Stefan put it in your room," she revealed as she stopped fighting. Caroline did not thank her but Elena grabbed Caroline by the shoulder just as her friend tried to leave and Caroline scowled at her with distaste.

Elena peered pleadingly at Caroline's face which was now half lit by darkness, unable to understand where her sweet friend had gone and why she was treating her like this! This was all Klaus' doing! It had to be! What did he even do to Caroline in such a short time? God she hated that monster! And if Caroline pushed his buttons and went up against him she could end up like Tatia or worse.

"Caroline maybe this is not a good idea. If Klaus finds out your 'secrets' you will be in trouble," Elena warned her but her hand fell down when Caroline gave her a scathing glower.

"I did not ask for your opinion and as sure as hell did not ask for your permission. Go entertain my family," Caroline coolly dismissed her concerns and walked away.

Elena remained rooted at her spot stunned by Caroline's behavior.

* * *

The doorknob turned and the door creaked open.

Caroline took an unsteady step inside her old room and turned on the lights. The feeling of safety and belonging she used to feel whenever she entered the room was now amiss. She leaned on the doorframe as she watched with a vacant gaze her childhood bedroom.

Shades of yellow and coral on the walls and the curtains. Beautiful ivory details on the cream colored furniture inside a spacious room with soft carpets on polished hardwood. Her mother had decorated her room. A room made for a Salvatore princess. Girly and delicate like she was supposed to be. And she was. When she was growing up despite all the darkness that came along with her family name she was that girl. For a little while. Girly sweet Caroline. With no worries and with only bright smiles. Pampered and most of all safe.

Caroline walked in her old room and took in her hands her old worn out teddy bear that was left discarded on the duvet. She looked at it as if she could bring it to life and sat down at the edge of her bed. She realized she was robbed of the old memories. Nothing in here correlated with her peaceful memories and with any sense of safety. The last memories she had of this room was being locked in and waiting for her wedding. The very last memory was when Stefan came in to take her to the chapel of the Mikaelson mansion for her marriage with Klaus. She had lived the longest week of her life in this room. She had mourned for her father and she hated him for what he did to her before his death and she also had mourned for her life. She was afraid of what would happen to Matt had she fought against Damon longer. All that was left was the sting of betrayal. Her room had turned into a prison and her family into her keepers.

Until the day she left this room and the Salvatore princess behind. She now had a different name to carry. A different weight. Same darkness, different blood.

Caroline shook her head with bitterness. This was her life. This was what she tried to run away from. And she had failed.

With a sigh she got up and went to her nightstand. As she expected, Stefan had left her phone in the first drawer. With hasty moves she looked around for the charger.

The moment she managed to turn on the phone countless messages danced on the bright screen. Caroline shuffled the list that kept repeating Matt's and Bonnie's name. Text and voice messages full of worry. Both of them asking where she was. When she would return. What happened to her. At first Matt's messages were casual and lighthearted but after a while they became anxious and demanding. He had left countless messages. He was angry at some. He was pleading her to call him back in others.

Caroline's heart constricted with so much rage as she noticed her outbox list. Damon sent messages to Matt in her name. Telling him to stop calling her and that she would never return. In Matt's eyes it looked as if she had just broken up with him through a text message. She gripped the device in her hand and felt the need to throw her phone and smash it against the wall. Instead she let her trembling fingers press the buttons and send a quick message to Bonnie telling her that she was okay and to tell Matt how sorry she was for everything. It was lame but she could not find the right words to write. Talking to Matt would be stupid and dangerous. She had to keep him at a distance. Matt could not go up against her brothers or even worse Klaus. That would cost him his life and she could not take that chance no matter how much she longed to hear his voice. His voice would ground her and she needed that more than ever but she could not risk it.

She opened the file with her pictures and her eyes burned as she focused on a photo of her and Matt. He was hugging her from behind smiling as she turned around to give him a kiss on the cheek. Her finger touched the screen and magnified the picture. That life seemed so distant and tainted and somehow the heartache she felt was not the same as before. She felt as if Matt was a stranger and as if that Caroline was not her anymore.

She got so distracted and lost in the memory the photo evoked that she did not hear anyone come into the room. Maybe it was the fact that she was so lost in thought or maybe it was the fact that he was always walking stealthily and soundlessly like a ghost.

The soft click of the door closing was not what alerted Caroline. It was that foreboding feeling and the electrifying vibrations that always surrounded _him_ that betrayed his presence just before he closed the door.

She froze and the phone almost fell from her hands. She didn't need to turn around to see that Klaus' eyes were boring holes in her back. She thought she had more time. The men's meeting was meant to last longer especially with Giovanni Montavaro's demands and Mikael's consent to them despite Klaus' certain displeasure over the situation. Klaus already knew Montavaro's men were rallying their forces in his house and that they had already pillaged his storages. Caroline knew that Klaus would get backed to a corner but did he not even oppose them then?

Smart. Dangerous.

Damon in his place would have lost his cool. People believed Klaus was prone temper tantrums but obviously he was able to control himself under pressure. Did that mean she would have to face a larger explosion later then?

A shiver ran down her spine as she mechanically turned around to face him. She steadied herself when she was confronted with his deadly gaze.

She held her breath and gripped the phone tighter in her hand. She did not miss the way Klaus' eyes scanned her every move and she completely stilled. She did not dare even move an inch knowing all too well that Klaus should never see the photo. She realized how reckless and stupid she had been now. She should have locked the door but her need to finally be able to get in touch with her friends back in Mystic Falls blinded her. The life she had created in her college campus was snatched away so violently from her and the yearning she felt for the people she had left behind had deprived her of her common sense and most of all tonight out of all nights! She internally cursed herself and she could swear that Klaus could hear thoughts.

She knew that predatory look all too well. He had smelled her fear and he could use this moment of weakness against her. She was holding a bomb. The same bomb Damon had used against her to force her into this marriage without any fight on her part. After tonight, Klaus would take advantage of any ammunition her stupidity gave him. Her heart started beating faster and she jumped up when the phone in her hand started ringing.

Klaus raised a challenging eyebrow at her and she pressed her lips together in retaliation.

"Won't you answer that, love?" he drawled and Caroline felt a knot forming in her throat. She could hardly breathe. She took a peek at the phone and saw Bonnie's name appearing in the incoming call. Of course her friend would call her right back after getting the message she had just sent her.

Caroline's looked at the challenge in Klaus' eyes but she also saw the shimmering anger and her eyes shone with determination mixed with indignation. She turned off her phone and threw it on her bed. Obviously Damon had managed to crack her pin code but Klaus didn't know it and she doubted that Damon would give it to him. Or so she hoped. She just had to distract him now and make sure he would forget about her phone.

However the smirk on Klaus' face alarmed her.

"What are you doing in here?" she demanded careful to not convey in her voice the anxiety that seemed to be pouring out of her in waves. The best defense was offense in this case and truth was that she didn't need to fake the hostility that reflected in her tone. The anger she felt towards her husband was constant now. It was always shimmering in her heart and burning in her blood.

Klaus eyes roved over her taut posture and he clasped his hands behind his back as he prowled closer.

"I came for you of course… _my love_ ," the mockery that laced the last words almost made her flinch.

Caroline was now standing in front of the mafia leader that killed people even for fun. She now felt in her skin why people feared him. It was not only what he could do. It was also what he was making people feel without actually doing anything. His presence made people feel like prey. She had come to realize, just by breathing the same air with him, that Klaus had a predatory nature that made people run for their lives; and Caroline was not one to run but she was not oblivious to the threat Klaus invited into peoples' lives. Into her life.

She could see how much she had angered him. She had pushed his limits. The blue of his eyes had turned to swirls of raging black now. He seemed calm on the outside but underneath the superficial exterior she knew that the winds of war were blowing. And she was standing in the eye of the storm.

A storm she had consciously created. An uncertain risk. Siding with Mikael's favor instead of her husband's. Her traitorous husband who used her as leverage –even against her own blood- and then expected from her to trust him while he stashed her away for his family to devour in their power games.

Klaus was coming closer and truth was that aside from not wanting him near her, she specifically didn't want him in her old bedroom. Seeing Klaus in her room somehow made the room look smaller. He felt so out of place here. His imposing figure made her feel as if her room had suddenly turned into a suffocating chamber. She didn't want Klaus to taint the memories of one of the few refuges she had as a child.

When he finally stood inches away from her, her first instinct was to take a step back but she fought it and stood her ground. Him being so close made her feel exposed and she felt as if she could not hide. Now that he was so near his unique scent enveloped her and defense after defense fell, leaving her breathing him in deeply and feeling dizzy and lost before him. It was instinctual and she took in a deeper breath before raising her gaze to meet his. To stop breathing all together.

Vibrations of danger oscillating around him reverberated on her skin causing shivers to bloom from head to toe. It was a violent reaction and it seemed to be permanent. Klaus' presence always seemed to disrupt every coherent thought of hers. It was not just panic or fear. It was an uncanny blend she could not find a name for. She only knew it was dangerous. It was so alien to her and she didn't know if she wanted to run away from him or lean in closer.

However, she armed herself with the knowledge that she stood against a man who besides her husband, also an enemy. This was how she had been taught to separate people in her life. To those that posed a threat and to those that didn't.

And Klaus was a threat. She didn't trust him. He could hurt her and the people she cared for. The people her phone could connect him with.

For now she was useful to him. She knew that. But that shady shadow of a safety net was not impenetrable. Not with a man like him.

What would happen when she would no longer be of use to him? What would he do to the woman that carried the Salvatore blood in her veins but no longer had the Salvatore protection?

Her family was not her safe haven. Not anymore. She had been uprooted and now she was facing danger. She had to keep reminding herself that despite Klaus' sweet wooing, that she knew for a fact that was nothing but a façade, a violent end awaited the seemingly violent delight he was offering. He was Klaus Mikaelson after all. He would rather kill softly with a kiss and a bullet to the heart and that was only if she was one of his lucky victims.

"What do you want?" Caroline demanded with a weary agitated tone while standing her ground.

Klaus's eyes slit suspiciously for a moment and he stood completely motionless studying her carefully. Caroline refused to show him any weakness so she looked straight into his eyes and waited.

Klaus' gaze slid towards her lips and when it rose back to her eyes Caroline realized that she could not look away from the intensity of his gleaming scrutiny. He did look a wolf intent on his prey.

She was transfixed and for a moment wondered how intoxicating it would be if she was the predator instead. How would her heart go aflame if she lived in a different world where she would be the one to have the power to make hearts still only with a gaze. No words. No violence necessary. Only raw domination through trained seduction and calculated menace. Klaus was known for unleashing his violence and rage but so far she had not seen him bathed in blood. She had seen him use honey and sugar in promises that made people bend and break in front of him. She had seen it in their wedding. She had seen it in people around him. She felt it in the way her resolve wavered whenever he was near. It was an alluring danger. A darkness she had never encountered before. Not even in her family. It made her feel tingles of fear and it made her ache. It also made her jealous of him. She wanted to have more. To be more. She craved to have been able to use the same weapons as him and not tricks like those she used tonight or those Esther provoked her to use.

And she wondered if Klaus possessed the gift of reading her mind because he seemed to be able to dive through thoughts untold, transparent only to him. It scared her more than anything else. Those thoughts were the last frontier. Literally her last stand. The only defense that could shield her in the battlefield her marriage had turned into.

Klaus let out a breath that was a mixture of a smile and an unspoken whisper. He stirred just an inch closer as if he was afraid that she was about to bolt at any moment and Caroline cast her gaze downwards to see his fingers gently push a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. It was a motion illusively tender and borderline sinister; nothing less but intimate and the moment his fingers touched the back of her ear she felt the sting of impending doom wash over her. This game of cat and mouse was breaking her slowly and the way his thumb grazed her neck made her pulse erupt into an untamable beating that made the floor beneath her legs shake and spin.

However, Klaus only graciously slid back a step and let his hand fall, looking deceptively calm. Before Caroline could freely breathe again, she gritted her teeth as she saw him looking at her discarded phone with a raised mocking eyebrow. Then he theatrically turned his attention back at her once more. This time the threat that shone in his eyes ever since the family dinner intensified and left her completely breathless.

"We are leaving," he announced.

The steel in his eyes battled with the ice that dripped from his lips.

Caroline forced her breath in and out and tried to block out the pure menace that laced his tone.

"We? As in your family and me?" she sweetly threw back at him and the sugary timbre of her irony left a rancid taste in her mouth.

The casual disregard did nothing to sooth the nerves of her husband and only achieved to throw more gasoline on to the fire.

"As in me and you," Klaus clarified tensely and Caroline was sure the fury that shimmered underneath that otherwise alluring accent would turn the brave meek and send them running away in terror.

His voice was quiet but the command was there and the fake gentleness resonating in his demand did nothing but to anger Caroline more. It was irrational but she could not help it. She should be scared of Klaus and of the consequences that would come after her act of defiance but her stubborn streak was not something she could control. Especially since it was not just a frivolous emotion. Her anger was justified. She knew it was.

She felt as if everything was suffocating her. Klaus was suffocating her. His family name next to her own was smothering her. His wedding band on her finger was like a chain wrapped around her neck drowning her. She was not free. She belonged to Klaus and she wanted to scream.

"There is no such thing as me and you," she bit out and noticed how Klaus' lips compressed to a thin line.

"You don't want to do this here Caroline," he cautioned; his whisper nothing but a lethal caress.

Caroline tilted her head to the side. This time it was her eyes that focused on his. This time she examined the hard lines of his face. The stiffness of his body. The determination in his eyes.

That ominous warning rushed out of his body, throbbing and streaming like a torrential surge of unforgivable electricity. Ready to electrify and burn and scorch and leave nothing but ash.

Instead of fear however she felt the need to laugh hysterically. She had woken up the monster and she felt a strange achievement of accomplishment. Why should she be the only one to suffer in this marriage? Why should she be the one to bow down and fall for Klaus' empty words of trust? Why should he not trust her good will instead? Why should he not be the one to be chained by the ties of matrimony in a knot that would break him and everything he held dear? Why should she be the only one fighting for her survival?

She swayed on her hips and took a step forward. A humorless smile adorned her features. Klaus squinted his eyes at her reaction. As if this was the first time he was seeing her.

"What if I do want to do this here?"

The pseudo seduction drizzling from her tone was nothing but the prelude to war. She was diving head first into perilous waters. She would either swim or sink. And she was not bluffing this time.

Klaus married her expecting a damsel in distress. Well, this particular damsel had chosen her weapons. His father was just the first.

The way Klaus strode forward was not gracious or stealthy. This time it was sudden like a snake attacking. She could see he was trying to restrain himself and part of her feared his retaliation but she contained that fear and turned it to challenge.

"Anywhere but here love," he growled as his hands dug into her arms. It was not a painful hold but his grip was rough and it was locked around her flesh like a manacle,"I would hate to do something we would both regret," he warned her.

The metal in his loud whisper and the flaming fury reflecting in every word made Caroline feel smaller somehow and she hated him for that. The promise of violence did nothing but add to her aggression.

She yanked his hands away and jutted her chin out as he hovered above her. Their staring match was not losing any steam.

"I am sure you do," she sarcastically threw at him with a repulsed grimace feeling a disappointment she did not know where it was coming from. She was not new at this. She had seen how her brothers and her father deal with those that defied them and put their interests in jeopardy. She didn't know why she expected Klaus to be any different. After all she was not part of his family. Not where it counted anyway."As you did…let us say… when you used me behind my brothers' back?" she yelled the accusation she had held in ever since Mikael announced Klaus would step up. How she would be alone to fend for herself against him despite the original agreement of their families. She had half expected to have a shield of protection against Klaus in their marriage. At least until she found her balance and some leverage inside the Mikaelson family but Klaus always planned for this. He wanted everything. And she was nothing but a step for him to use to get what he wanted.

Caroline knew how their world worked but part of her wanted to believe that her family would protect her more. And tonight she realized that this ploy was a trap for her brothers too. The surprise in Stefan's face during their conversation was not one that could be misunderstood. Damon and Stefan did not expect Klaus to take Mikael's reign and now she was stuck in the middle and even though she hated her brothers with a burning passion she still felt inklings of loyalty towards them and the memories they shared. She could not allow to Klaus to walk over them. If they would fall then she would fall after them. She would be left only to Klaus' mercy and she could not allow that to happen. She had to buy time for herself and Damon to rise to power and for her to somehow manage to find leverage against Klaus. Something. Anything.

She only hoped that Damon was smart enough to catch on quickly at what he had to do from now and on. Surely Montavaro had gotten in touch with him before tonight's gathering.

Klaus huffed annoyed, his palms turning to fists. Caroline had never seen him so livid before. Granted she did not know him for that long but during the few weeks of their marriage he had always seemed composed and all suave and charming in front of her. She had even started to wonder if his legendary rage was nothing but a fairytale to keep his enemies at bay. But judging by the blackness gathering around them now she knew that the stories were true.

Klaus pushed his hand through his unruly locks and looked at her like he felt the need to scream and smash everything inside the room.

"Damn it Caroline," he shouted frustrated "you are playing a game you can't win!" he cursed out the same condemning words Stefan had threw at her moments before. Both men considering her powerless and too feeble to participate to their game.

Klaus' admonishing voice did not hide the pity that resonated between them. He for good reason considered her weak. After all, she was nothing but a girl. Girly little Caroline growing up protected inside this girly room. Hidden away from the horrors of the world. _His_ horrors. And if she was not just a girl, she was still a woman and in their world that did not count for much.

"Funny thing how people's opinions coincide at times," Caroline spat wryly feeling the need to somehow pierce his arrogance. To do more than just scratch him and hope he would bleed.

He marched at her and she was ready to kick and scream at him but he was like a tornado that swept everything into him. Before she could even take a breath she was pinned against the wall.

His hand covered her neck and his fingers locked on her chin demanding her full attention. It was not pain he was dolling out. It was entrapment. Her heaving chest could feel the hard planes and lines of his chest underneath his shirt.

"You do not want to mess with my father!" he hissed and looked at her with pleading eyes that made her blink. It was not anger she was seeing. It was frustration and a desperation that made her feel disoriented. His rage was flaring out, giving room for something else to come between them. She almost moaned but instead she chewed the inside of her cheek feeling the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. It was not just his hands that kept her immobilized. Her body was like a cage of roaring longings and insane voices whispering in her mind to do shameless things she did not want to name or even dream of. She did not want to give voice to every suppressed dark desire she felt whenever Klaus was near.

Ever since the priest declared them husband and wife, she had tried to keep her distance but every touch, every stare, every whisper Klaus cast her way messed with her mind and sanity.

Caroline looked straight in his eyes and felt his hot breath caress her face. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

Klaus' hand skimmed the line of her jaw and Caroline felt lightheaded. His fingers threaded into her hair, bringing her face closer to his. His forehead brushed against hers and she reluctantly felt her body relax. His stubble prickled her nose and she wanted to let him in. She did not know why she wanted to trust him so much but she knew why she couldn't. Why she never would. Lies and beautiful words would not change anything between them. She did not have to be super smart in order to realize that like the Devil himself Klaus was the master of illusion and manipulation.

Caroline raised her hand and wrapped her fingers around his wrist. She felt his breath hitch at the contact she initiated.

Klaus eyes glistened with need and Caroline trembled for a moment before she slowly pushed his hand away from her hair. He did not try to stop her and he sighed when she turned her head to the side denying them any physical connection.

"Like I mess with _you_?" she bitterly let out the acid that was choking her. Her voice came out as a harsh hushing whisper full of venom and rancor inside an ice of mockery.

Klaus' lips compressed to a thin line and he grabbed her face again with both hands cupping her cheeks, demanding her undivided attention.

"Caroline-"

"What makes _you_ better than him?" she cut him off, glowering at him while yanking her face away from his hands. An act of defiance and self-preservation. She did not avert her eyes from his and Klaus pushed his palms flat against the wall on each side of her head.

He took a step forward, coming impossibly closer. His chest brushed against the silk of her dress and she had to keep her breathe in so to stop their bodies from merging.

"The fact that I would kill to keep you safe!" he vowed his unholy pledge with so much passion it turned Caroline's heart. He sounded so honest as he seemed to breathe her in with every tick of the imaginary clock counting the time, the distance between them.

"Of course you would," she trailed off before she could collect herself, despite the shiver that passed through her. A shiver she was sure he also felt, "killing is what you do!" Caroline breathed with aversion. The accusation cracked like a whip between them and the blue in Klaus' eyes burned brighter revealing an emotion Caroline did not expect from him. _Hurt._

Her eyes however shone with so much condemnation Klaus actually faltered and released his hold and stepped back. Caroline would have laughed at the sight of him in any other case but she knew better.

Klaus Mikaelson was a cold blooded born killer. He was trained to kill and maim and to take advantage of weaknesses. Caroline felt as if she allowed him to exploit her own weaknesses whenever he invaded her personal space and this had to stop. She had to protect if not her heart then surely her life and for that her walls had to remain high and not get bridged every time Klaus used his illusive seduction and intimidation techniques with her.

Klaus shook his head disappointed. His chest rose and fell and he gritted his teeth in umbrage.

"Mikael does not care for your safety! I do!" he shouted, exasperated.

Caroline's lips curved to a tired acerbic smile."Of course you care. How would you keep your precious alliance without my head still attached to my neck right?" she taunted sarcastically making Klaus' jaw clench.

"If anyone other than you pulled that stunt tonight, I would rip out their hearts!" Klaus roared and it was not the volume of his threat but the sharp edge in his retaliation that cut Caroline's breath.

She could not believe how a man's angelic features could transform into something ugly and malignant so fast just by carrying the promise of violence in their voice and eyes.

Caroline knew that this was not an empty promise. She knew that Klaus had killed people for far less. Everyone knew it and yet this unveiled threat hurt now that it was targeting her. She expected it. She provoked it. But it still hurt.

It sliced through her like a hot knife and despite the fear it brought it also drove her body to push forward.

It was a valiant challenge from her side or maybe simply stupidity but that did not stop her from facing her husband with all she had. As she approached him, tension rose like a wisp of smoke that swirled around them, trapping them into the eye of the storm.

Klaus' gaze scrutinized her every reaction with disbelief and awe as she walked to him and stood straight with her shoulders squared bracing herself for the worst. His body was tense and on alert and he could see that Caroline emanated aggression and determination. Her next words surprised him when they really shouldn't.

"Well do it! I never expected anything better from the likes of you!"

Klaus waited.

He waited for her to back down. He waited for any sign to show him that his wife was pretending to take him up on his threat. Any sign to show to him that her challenge and her words were empty; to see her mask of faux bravery shutter but once more her brutal honesty and her constant stubbornness were coming out to play.

He could not help but be impressed. He expected many things from Caroline Salvatore. The girl that was brought up and raised inside this harmless girly room full of violet dreams and sweet lullabies. But he never expected to meet such a fearless creature. Temperamental and unpredictable and so very beautiful. A beauty forged in courage and not just on the superficiality of a pretty face.

Klaus realized in astonishment that Caroline Salvatore, despite the innocence that bloomed in her beautiful features, presented a harmless sight for most of the men of his kind. Except she hid a dangerous opponent. Even worse. She hid a… Mikaelson. She now had his name and she had the ability to wage war and that made her…unsafe.

There were in collision course and he had to find a way to put a stop to it otherwise Caroline could potentially achieve what Mikael had not so far. She could manage to land a destructive blow to his plans and to him and he would never allow that.

His eyes slowly roamed up and down her form and it dawned on him. He had treated her wrong. From the very first moment, he treated her wrong. He believed her to be innocuous and eventually even tamable. He had considered her to be an easy challenge.

He could already she that she was fierce but she was also more than just a challenge. She was an adversary and a foe and she was now tied to his side. His apprehension turned to a guarded expression. Could she become a worthy rival?

Klaus sauntered closer. He could see that Caroline was afraid of his next move and even though he could take advantage of her fear, he knew that her spirit was not easily breakable. So he only inspected her posture with his eyes trying to find an opening to pierce her resolve. She was tense but she was not backing down and he let his finger graze the column of her exposed shoulder making her gasp as he started circling her with slow steps. His movements predatory and he noticed how Caroline remained still but she moved her head to follow his movements cautiously.

"The likes of me?" he smirked and Caroline narrowed her eyes at his sudden display of nonchalance, "like the likes of Montavaro and your father? Of your brothers? _Of you sweetheart?_ " he whispered as he stood behind her, closing his eyes and taking in her scent.

Caroline whirled around immediately; her eyes blazing with fury as her hair waved around her shoulders.

"I am nothing like you!"

She looked so offended and the indignation vibrating in her voice was making Klaus' smirk turn wider. He let his eyes caress her body excruciatingly slow, relishing the scarlet color that blossomed in Caroline's cheeks.

"You could sure fool me!" his sarcasm made Caroline flinch and Klaus snorted going further into pushing her buttons, "Scheming and planning war strategies? A true mafia daughter!" he exclaimed theatrically before his features turned to a stony expression, "You and I could be the same but you have no concept of loyalty."

The accusation ringing in his mockery made Caroline's expression turn incredulous.

She pointed at him in disbelief.

"And you are loyal? To whom? Certainly not to your blood. Not to your own father!" she spat with corrosive ire and Klaus disposition rapidly changed in a hot second; he grabbed her by the shoulders and brought her closer to him making Caroline heave in alarm.

"He is not my father!" Klaus bellowed and Caroline pushed him away violently.

"Was Elijah your brother then? What did you do to him Klaus?" she fought back before she could come to her senses, taking their screaming match a step further into somewhere she knew she shouldn't.

Caroline saw the change happen immediately and for the first time she felt not just fear but actual panic. The hair on the back of her head rose and she knew she had to tread carefully.

Klaus tensed immediately and everything around them became eerie silent.

"One more word Caroline. _I dare you_ ," he warned her. His words a deadly whisper that barely covered what hid underneath the surface of his fragile tranquility.

Caroline could see that he was incandescent with rage and her trembling body almost gave out.

It was too much. Everything that kept happening was too much. This game of push and pull was taking a destructive toll on her. She was tired of being afraid and of being on constant defense 24/7. She wanted this nightmare to finally come to an end. She wanted the monsters to return to their tales and her life to go back to normal.

Her eyes filled with tears and her hands turned to fists.

"You can have three. **Go .to .Hell!** "

She turned around to leave but Klaus held her back. She tried to yank her wrist from his steely grip to no avail. He was not hurting her physically but everything seemed to be crashing down on her in painful waves. His mood swings were disorienting her and she could not just stand down and let Klaus control her. He could be tender and then like a tornado he could change into fearsome anger. He was seductive and lethal. He was like a constant change of anarchy creating chaos and she was at the precipice of that chaos's borders ready to fall in.

"Let go of me!" she demanded, trying to pull her hand from his hold but Klaus refused to let go. Instead he reached for her other hand too. She glowered at him and felt something twist in her stomach when she saw how the anger in his eyes evaporated slowly at the sight of her distraught full of panic eyes. His thumbs instinctively caressed her wrists gently and he breathed deeply trying to contain his anger and Caroline felt her knees turn to rubber as the tension started to escape her body.

"I asked you to trust me!" Klaus murmured lost in Caroline's eyes. It always happened out of nowhere but it was as if she was capable of taming the beast inside him with only a gaze.

Klaus' voice was low, rich and warm. His tone was persuasive and almost desperate and that deliberate reminder of his efforts from his side to make her trust him created a sensation inside Caroline's heart that crept and spread like a shadow.

_It was not right._

He had no right to ask this from her while treating her like this. He had no right to twist his abusive ways into something she should crave, no matter how alluring he presented himself.

"Please let me go," she tersely asked him and Klaus immediately pulled back. She felt the veins around her wrists vibrating in concert with her erratic pulse and she hated that a part of her missed his touch.

Caroline stared at him, trying to examine his face for a moment before she inhaled sharply, trying to allow crisp air to invade her lungs and cool down her heated skin. She shook her head in disappointment.

"Trust is earned and you have done nothing to gain mine," she resolutely rejected him with a stern voice. Her chin tilted up and she refused to back down or allow him to make a fool out of her.

Klaus' eyes gleamed with displeasure.

"You're most certainly proving you are not to be trusted either," he fired back impatiently; blatantly pointing out the fact that they had no communication or trust between them. Only lies.

"What did you expect?" Caroline snapped, "that I would stand idle while you played your games behind my back?"

Klaus growled and Caroline could see in the hot shine of his glare that his patience was wearing thin and yet for some reason she did not care to try to sooth him at all. She did not care to lull the beast back to sleep because that would mean she would have to lie down and close her eyes and pretend that every wrong thing happening to her was not important. But it was. It was!

"From now on you will do what I say!" Klaus lashed out. His command was an unpleasant sound that made Caroline flinch.

"Like hell I will!" she denied exasperated and Klaus' nostrils flared in anger.

"You are my wife! Act like it!" he finally exploded and Caroline's heart stopped. She blinked as she realized she had lived this before. It felt like a punch in the stomach.

She remembered her parents fighting a long time ago and her father imposing his will to her mother in a similar way. She remembered her mother crying that night and Caroline remembered herself hugging the same teddy bear that sat on her bed tonight. She would hold it tight, hearing her mom's soft gasps of breath as she tried to hold back her tears in front of her. She remembered her father loving her mother but also her mother's spirit withering away until Elizabeth Salvatore ended up in an early grave.

It seemed that in their world names changed but their ways remained the same. Old transitions and unbreakable rules. Either you were a Salvatore or a Mikaelson. Esther's 'advice' from earlier echoed still in Caroline's mind as did all the lessons she was taught when growing up about how a good wife should behave. To bring in the alliances and to bear children, to continue the lines and wage more war and shed even more blood. Ever since her birth, it was expected from her to walk up to the aisle and marry a man like Klaus and follow a certain code of behavior. This is what she had so desperately tried to avoid by running away to college and this was what Damon stole from her when he forced her to marry Klaus. This reality was crashing down on her now more than ever. Klaus expected her to act according to the unwritten laws of their world. To be like every other mafia wife.

It was the same disposition Elena had. It was what was expected from her and what would be expected from Rebekah. To bow their heads down and relinquish their minds and their freedom. Her mother had done it and lost her happiness and life and Esther had done it and lost her humanity.

Klaus was no different when it came to this obviously. He bought a wife and expected from her to follow the same rules. This was about control. About him imposing his authority on her. Caroline realized this was not just the life her mother lived but the kind of life she was expected to lead too. She was meant to become a trophy wife. To have no voice. No mind of her own. To kill her dreams and her personality.

The hell with that!

Caroline pressed her lips and tried to stop herself from shaking as the memories from her childhood rushed back, assaulting her with unwanted images. She squared her shoulders and gulped down the bile that rose in her throat.

She looked Klaus from head to toe with a repulsed gaze.

"And you are my husband! Mine!" she declared out solemnly and most of all with a fierceness that made Klaus narrow his eyes, "A husband I can't trust. I should not be terrified of you! I should not be afraid even of my own shadow when you are near," she confessed feeling tears gathering in her eyes. She felt her eyes burn and her sight water but she swallowed the liquid pool of emotion back, refusing to show weakness to Klaus Mikaelson.

Her husband looked confused by her rant. It seemed as if her words were an alien symphony of vowels and consonants he did not understand.

"I never harmed you," he faltered looking at her as if he had never seen her before, "I tried to reach out to you."

Caroline snorted at that and the bitter laugh that escaped her lips made Klaus' eyes widen momentarily.

"Seriously? In case you have not noticed you took away my freedom by force!" she accused him with a venomous voice that made Klaus cringe inwardly, "My family traded me like cattle and you used me and still use me as a stepping stool for your power trip. You go dashing around with half charming words half threats. I am nothing but disposable for my family and _collateral damage_ for you."

Klaus blinked at her brutal honesty that effectively silenced him and when their eyes met again there was a fathomless pit of dangerous and unspoken sentiment between them. Of all the things which were impossible to translate without a code of understanding.

Caroline approached him unfazed and Klaus for the first time in his life almost cowered back as her delicate fingers reached for the lapels of his jacket. She straightened the fabric almost with care as her breath whispered on his skin.

And yet the coldness in Caroline's eyes battled the heat her closeness brought. She parted her lips sensually, reaching closer until her cheek barely touched his, her sweet voice murmuring near his ear.

"I will not let you decide what my destiny will be," she swore in an unwavering tone as her body melted closer to his, making his rigid muscles thrum with need, "It is my life. _My choice._ And if you want to play with my future like that then I will repay the favor…husband," she promised and Klaus' eyes followed the flash of her blonde hair and her rosy cheeks as Caroline moved her head back just to lock her gaze with him. She gave him a decisive nod, turned around and walked to her bed to take her phone and strode to the door. She left him frozen, watching her silken clad body provocatively make its exit from the childish room.

Her threat that was more of a promise ringed in his ears as he clenched his fists and tried to calm down. Klaus looked at Caroline's old room and without understanding why his legs took him to her vanity. He took a photograph of hers in his hand as her perfume still soaked the air around him.

He did not understand what was happening. This should not be happening. Caroline Salvatore should not be defying him and she should not be challenging his sanity like this. Her pain should not matter.

So why did he feel…shame?

His finger slid over the glossy surface of the photo.

Caroline was trying to survive. Could he really hate her when he was doing the same?

His lips turned to a harsh line and he gripped the picture in his hand.

All he knew for sure was that he had to keep a close eye on her now. Caroline was trying to survive, yes, but despite her desperation and anger her move was not born out of the blue. She had planned this. She had planned everything. It was a calculated strike and it was precise. She had been able to manipulate logic and emotion and she knew how to wait and strike when needed.

Klaus had thought he was giving her time to adjust to their marriage and mourn her father while saying goodbye to her old life. He thought he could manage her and her pliable behavior lately made him think that but it was nothing but a façade.

He believed he held all the cards and that eventually Caroline would understand that her place would be under him and she would learn to respect that. In return, he would give her everything any other women could only dream of. He would shelter her and protect her and even cherish her. Everything she would ask would be hers. He would provide everything.

But Caroline thwarted him. She was not just adjusting. She was observing. She was planning. She was taking her time and she was gathering her information while reaching out to his enemies. Secretly and without leaving traces and clues behind. How had he missed that? Had Mikael approached her or it was the other way around?

She was already starting to ensure alliances of her own, choosing to be bold and collect what the blood oath of the patriarchal code of matrimony could grant her. Mikael had given his promise of protection publicly in their wedding celebration in front of all the families aligned with the Mikaelsons and the Salvatores, even those internationally. The minx knew that despite Mikael losing ground and power, she had wanted to put a halt to his decline. She had seen the signs of his imminent fall first hand but she knew others didn't know this. She had tried to stabilize Mikael's position long enough to use him as a shield against even her husband if need be, while giving time to her brothers to regroup and forge new alliances. Even the alliances provided by the unification of their families through their wedding.

Caroline knew Rebekah was not bringing along the same power for Damon through their marriage because Mikael was still alive and his alliances would not shift. Alliances Klaus managed under the table, swaying them to his advantage before Stefan and Damon acted. Giuseppe's death was a power vacuum that needed to be filled fast but it was also taking time and it was a matter of a certain kind of strategy. Klaus knew it and had prepared for that for months but Damon had miscalculated because he assumed that Mikael was in control and he had depended on the enmity Mikael felt for his bastard son. Caroline had realized that Mikael was turning quickly into a decoration, however, and she intervened. She did it in a seemingly naïve way in front of her family and the heads of the Outfit as to send a message. A message that surely Damon got. She had probably already informed Stefan when the youngest Salvatore surely went after her after he abruptly left the midnight council.

Klaus could tell that Caroline held a grudge against her family for giving her to him and his own family as a bride but she was smart enough to separate her personal feelings from what she knew she had to do. Her judgment was not clouded. Something admirable but dangerous. She was changing the timeframe. She was trying to push him to action. She knew that he could not formally take over and replace Mikael as long as his father was alive and she knew that as long Mikael stayed in Chicago his connections would never follow him or respect him. He was not ' _Capo Famiglia'_ after all like Mikael and Damon were _._

Caroline knew that by forcing Mikael to stay longer he would have to either kill Mikael or make room for adjustments. If he killed Mikael he would not be able to create a smooth transition and he would lose power in the imbalance. This is why he was taking his time and was postponing the old man's funeral despite the fact that he wanted to tear out Mikael's head for years. Carnage would not help now as he had already set in motion a more political action. Something he had planned for years and could not change in a few weeks or even months. Caroline had realized all that on the spot but if he allowed her to influence him and rush into unplanned adjustments to his plans, in the end it would all be in favor of Damon Salvatore. This would allow Damon to swiftly and more smoothly come to power and it would be a setback for him. Something that Mikael could also take advantage of and so would _she_.

Klaus looked at Caroline's photo more intensely. He looked at her smiling face and a sigh escaped his lips before his eyes turned hard and he set the picture down. He could not allow her to become his weakness. She looked generally harmless to the untrained eye but that was a lie he realized.

Caroline was a worthy opponent. For the first time in decades she achieved what no other had. She opened the Mikaelson gates to enemies. Montavaro was an old sly fox and Caroline was smart to rely on him instead of her brothers.

Klaus could barely believe what had actually happened tonight. Caroline Salvatore Mikaelson managed to gather a private army in his territory. With Mikael's blessing. Something his father would not have allowed in any other case. If he was still in charge he wouldn't have. But now? Oh, now he did with so much pleasure. All so to set a trap for him in retaliation for what he had done to him.

People still believed him to be King so Mikael acted like one and challenged him to object. To object when he himself the morning after his wedding stood at the head of the table in the first joined meeting of the families and gave clearance to the Salvatores to enter the Mikaelson market as a sign of good faith. He had believed then he could control the outcome. And he would have. Should Caroline had not turned the tables on him like this tonight. Should she have not distracted him like this. Montavaro would have never attempted such a move if he believed Mikael to still be in charge. Caroline had betrayed him and found a way to contact Giovanni and her brothers. She found an opening and exploited it. Montavaro was a seasoned Underboss. It was not difficult to command this kind of manpower so smoothly and swiftly.

He had let his guard down. He had underestimated Caroline and she managed to find a way to spy on him. To learn his weaknesses. To plot his demise. To have an advantage. And then feed her brothers and Montavaro with enough power to balance the scales.

Unbelievable! A little girl that only a year ago was playing cheerleader managed to pull such a move. To bring Captains of the Outfit under his roof so to have the castle fall from within. To provoke discord. A small but substantial army to command herself through her connections with the Salvatore branch and to show to everyone that had eyes and ears that _he_ was weak. That he could not control his wife. That he was unable to keep the stability inside his own domain.

What kind of leader was he if he was unable to protect his own home from intruders that wanted to invade his power and cripple his forces from within? What kind of boss was he when he allowed the Salvatores to pillage his trove?

The heads of the families aligned to the Mikaelsons would rise. One marriage was not enough to burn out the hate they had for the Salvatores and the Sicilians. They only went along with the treaty so to gain power and gain access to the Salvatore grounds and not to lose theirs.

Something that would not have happened during Mikael's strongest reign and now that son of bitch with Caroline's aid was trying to show to everyone that his bastard son was an incompetent coward unable to efficiently succeed him. How much time would it take for those still loyal to Mikael to rebel and demand his father's return to power or even worse begin an internal war by supporting Kol instead of him? Waging war against his brother was not something he was willing to do again. Never again.

And yet he might have to prepare for it now. Or at least take precautions. All that while he could not afford losing Kol's loyalty now.

Giuseppe Salvatore chose wrong. He should not have chosen Damon Salvatore to train for the throne and he should not have kept Caroline out of the game. Caroline Salvatore was rough around the edges and her moves on the chess board were a bit unrefined and crude but she was capable of inflicting great damage and she could also operate under duress. These were the traits of a strategist.

How could he had missed this when all the signs were there from the first day of their marriage?

Caroline was not just a pampered Princess. Underneath the insecurities and the shallow façade she hid a leader. She was every inch the Queen Giuseppe should have trained to reign after him.

Klaus looked at his wedding ring and remembered the oath he had given at the alter. To cherish and protect his wife. His beautiful wife who was bonded to him with more enmity than any other connection formed between them. And yet… he still wanted her.

He realized that deep down he didn't want to treat Caroline like an enemy but she was not leaving him any other option. He had to return back to the drawing board and assess the new variables, the danger she presented. The game was now rapidly changing because Caroline was proving to be an unknown factor. She was an adversary and a quite formidable at that.

So the only question left now was where did this leave them?

* * *

**_Painful reckoning._ **

**_I'd rather watch my kingdom fall  
I want it all or not at all._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Many thanks to the amazing Anastasia Dreams for her beta work.
> 
> * Songs used as inspiration for this chapter :  
> Kingdom Fall by Claire Wyndham


End file.
